Sasuke Says
by FastForward
Summary: Minato Namikaze took everything from the Uchiha family. Their money, their business, their home, absolutely everything. Now, Itachi and Sasuke are going to take it all back, and the only way to do that is to take what Minato holds dear. Payback's a bitch. (SasuNaru.)
1. The Plan

**A/N: What's up guys? So people who follow me on Y have read this entire story to completion but since I can post on here again without the shame of FTL hanging over me, those of you not on Y can see what I've been doing for the past... -counts- five? years :D Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer: Did you know that being at the Canadian Embassy in Japan still counts as Canadian soil and the Japanese police cannot arrest me for kidnapping Kiba on Kishimoto Masashi's orders? Because I sure did, and now as long as I don't move from this location, he is ALL mine!  
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* * *

**Sasuke Says.**

**July 12th, 22:48**

"Excuse me?"

"This is the only way, I fail to see why I need to repeat myself."

"I've done a lot of things for you, but I'm not doing this. You can't force me to help you do something like this."

"I don't recall giving you an option, little brother. When we succeed in this, we'll have regained everything we've lost. We'll return to living how we were in the past."

"You've never asked me to do something illegal before. I'm not going to get arrested because of your own personal vendetta."

"You act as if we're going to get caught. You should know me better, little brother. I've wanted revenge on him for a long time for what he did to our family. To us."

"I lived through this, I understand that, and I'm willing to get revenge, but not on his kid. Not like this. There are other ways, you taught me that."

"This is going to happen, whether you want it to or not. And you _will_help me."

"Whether I want to or not, right?"

"You don't have a choice. I need a partner, and you're it."

"I'm only agreeing because you promised the kid wouldn't get hurt. And you have no self-restraint so I know he will if I'm not there to stop you."

"You think you're a nicer person than me? If that'll make you feel better. But I'm glad you've come to your senses. Come on, little brother, we have a lot of planning to do."

* * *

**September 14th, 07:02**

A large tanned hand twitched slightly at the foreign noise when it made its way into the teen's unconscious mind. When no other sound was heard, the body which had been preparing itself to awaken slowly eased itself back into a comfortable dreamworld. And then, the black, inky darkness of sleep was viciously interrupted when bright light suddenly erupted from nowhere, slicing through a set of eyelids almost painfully.

A loud groan broke the silence of the room, Naruto Uzumaki reaching out for one of his many extra pillows to pull it over his head in an attempt to block out the bright light now streaming in through his window.

"Get up, brat."

"No," the blond whined, pulling the pillow closer to himself. "Go bug someone else."

"Naruto, get up. It's already past seven."

"No it's not," he whined again.

"The clock says it is."

"The clock is a dirty, dirty liar."

"What?!" the maid demanded from across the room, obviously still standing beside his windows after having wrenched open his dark blue curtains. "Are you sure? What do you mean the clock is lying?! Do you mean to tell me that I woke your father early?! This is an outrage! He'll beat me, then fire me, and then I'll live out the rest of my life poor and alone drinking myself into a stupor and selling my body for mo—"

The woman smirked at Naruto after having caught the pillow he'd thrown at her head. The blond just scowled at her, both hands over his ears.

"Dammit, I don't need to hear that shit! That's nasty!" The blond's sheet had slipped down to his waist when he'd sat up, the material just barely passing the hem of his silk boxers, but one hand reached down when it was clear Tsunade was finished and pulled it back up a little bit. "Seriously, always with the dramatics."

"Sometimes, drama is the only thing that works on you," Tsunade Sannin informed him, moving to another set of windows and continuing to pull open the curtains until not a single inch of Naruto's room was lacking in sunlight.

The blond grunted, rubbing at his eyes with one hand, the other still holding the sheet in place as if it would expose him if he let it slide further. He was wearing boxers, so that was obviously not a possibility, but Naruto wasn't big on being partly naked around people, no matter who they were.

"I'm up, hag, now get out of my room." The blond scowled at the woman who'd raised him before turning his head away and yawning into his hand. He promptly got hit in the back of the head with his own pillow, letting out an indignant shout and turning to his bedroom door, which was already closing behind her.

Once it had, he grabbed his pillow, pulled it over his head again, and got himself comfortable under his sheet once more, having yanked it back up to his neck.

"Naruto."

The blond slowly pulled the pillow off his head and turned to look at the door, wondering if Tsunade could possibly have X-ray vision.

"If you go back to sleep, I'll take pictures of you while you're unconscious and sell them to your fangirls. I'm sure I could afford to quit this job with the amount of money I'd make off those."

"Shit, Tsunade," Naruto groaned loudly, rolling around on his bed. "You're so evil!" he shouted at the door.

"Get up, brat, don't make me tell you again."

Naruto heard her footsteps retreating down the corridor, but knew she would return eventually and go through with her threat if he wasn't out of bed. She was sadistic like that, and knowing her, she'd magically enlist Naruto's best friend's help, and that was the _last_thing he needed. The blond shuddered at the thought of his fangirls with pictures of him sleeping. That would be horrifying.

So, with a sigh, he grabbed the robe sitting on the chair beside his bed and stood quickly, wrapping it around himself. Tying it off, he made sure the flap was closed properly, and then made his way towards his bathroom, grumbling angrily about Tsunade and her evil mind.

He knew his attitude probably didn't show it, but Naruto loved Tsunade, and viewed her as a mother. The blond's real mother had died when he was very young, he didn't remember her at all, and his father was always working. The closest thing to a parent Naruto had ever had was Tsunade. She had been employed long before Naruto had ever been born, and had taken on the job of nanny when Kushina had passed away, so he'd pretty much grown up with her. He felt the most comfortable with her, and even if he knew she was the hired help, he treated her as much more than a maid.

And unfortunately for him, that meant she knew him like the back of her hand.

"No bath!"

"Aw, come on!" Naruto insisted, having just plugged the tub.

"You'll be late! Get in the shower, now! If I don't hear that water running in one minute..." She let the threat hang there and the blond cursed.

"You're no fun," he groused, standing up from the edge of his jacuzzi-sized bathtub and stalking over to his shower instead.

Pulling back the frosted glass door, he stepped inside after one last look at his tub, and then shut the door. Grabbing a small towel off the hook beside the taps, Naruto pulled open his robe and wrapped it around his waist over his boxers. Once it was secured, he removed them from beneath the material, and then tossed them over the top of the shower door. Then he slid the robe off his shoulders, and threw that over the door as well before stepping under the showerhead and turning on the water.

Hot water beat down on his skin, and the blond let out a deep sigh, his head rolling backwards to allow more surface area for the heated liquid. The towel around his waist began to sag from the added weight of being wet and he reached down to quickly tug it back up, tightening it around his waist.

Naruto hated that he had to have the towel, it was a hindrance, in all honesty, but unfortunately for him, the blond had a psychological problem with exposing himself, even while alone. Because no one was ever truly alone, were they? Someone could break in, someone could not know he was in there, someone could open the door by accident, and so on and so forth. So no matter where he was, or what he was doing, he had to be covered, and he hated the motherfucker who'd done this to him.

When he'd been younger, around five or six—he didn't remember which anymore—Tsunade's brother Jiraiya had gotten really sick, and she'd had to take a leave of absence from work. Of course, with Kushina gone and Minato always working, Naruto had no one to look after him, so his father had asked around about someone he could call to babysit his son until Tsunade got back.

He'd found someone, though he probably should have done more research rather than just choose someone due to convenience. It turned out the man was a pedophile, just one of those lucky ones who hadn't gotten caught. Not until entering the Namikaze household, anyway. Naruto didn't really remember what had happened to him, all he knew was that things _had_happened, and he remembered the man standing over him, holding his dick with scissors in his other hand.

Ever since then, Naruto had had problems with his cock. Tsunade had always reassured him that he'd grow out of it, that it wouldn't happen again and that the man who'd done this was in jail, but it didn't help. Subconsciously, Naruto would never forget about it, and it made it impossible for him to expose himself. To anyone.

He and Tsunade joked every now and then about how he was going to have sex, but truthfully, it was a hard topic for him because he honestly didn't know how he was going to pull it off. He just hoped the trauma would disappear before his life got that far.

Naruto emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, water soaking the collar of his robe and a new, dry towel around his waist over a new pair of boxers. Yawning while walking towards his bed, where Tsunade had laid out his uniform, he grabbed the dark grey uniform pants and pulled them on. He threw his towel onto the bed once they were around his waist, and finished doing them up before grabbing the white button-down shirt and grey tie.

The tie was promptly shoved into his pocket while the shirt was pulled over his shoulders, the buttons being done up while he headed for his dresser to grab a pair of socks. Then, he turned to exit his room, still finishing up on the buttons.

"Why do I bother ironing things for you?" Tsunade demanded, appearing behind him and tucking his shirt in while they both headed for the stairs. She pulled his tie from his pocket once he was done and started tying it for him, peeking over his shoulder to make sure she was doing it right.

Not that he ever said this to her, but Naruto had always been impressed with what the woman could do while they were both walking.

"There," she said when they'd reached the stairs and Naruto had taken a seat on the top one to put on his socks. "You actually look like a real boy, now," she teased.

"As opposed to one made of wood?" the blond asked back with a snort, looking up at her while pulling on his second sock and standing.

"If you were made of wood, I'd sand you down a little bit around the edges so they weren't so sharp," she shot back.

Naruto snorted and rolled his eyes, getting to his feet and starting down the stairs. "Is this still about me not having a girlfriend? 'Cause we've talked about that."

"I talked, you just daydreamed," she accused, following after him.

"Yeah, yeah." He grinned over his shoulder and then walked into the large dining room, where the grin promptly disappeared from his face.

His father was sitting at the head of the large oak table, a coffee held in one hand and the newspaper in front of him, frown on his face. The cup was up near his lips, as if he'd been about to take a sip before he'd gotten distracted by something. With Naruto's dad, that was an easy thing to do.

"Stock's falling," the older man informed him, as if Naruto even cared.

"Oh, boo hoo, let me go find my violin," he breathed under his breath, taking a seat beside his father. He pressed his lips together when Minato's eyes shot in his direction, obviously having heard him.

"You'd be surprised, Naruto, how much harder your life would be without my money. No more yacht trips, no more playstation and Xbox, no more luxurious and spacious cars..."

"However would I manage?" Naruto asked with mock horror before snorting and taking a bite of his toast.

"Don't get smart with me, Naruto, your life would be miserable without my money," Minato Namikaze informed him with narrowed eyes.

Naruto dropped his barely touched toast onto his plate and stood. "I'm done. Always a pleasure." He turned around and walked out of the room before his father could say anything to him.

He hated how the older man relied on money, as if Naruto would have long since died without the luxuries and wealth around him. Which was ridiculous, of course, since he'd only ever been on the yacht once, he didn't use the consoles, and he hated all the cars in their garage except the 2008 Honda Civic his father never let him touch because it was "such a piece of crap car, why would such a thing have been bought."

His father always said Naruto would be miserable without money, but truthfully, Naruto felt he'd be _less_ miserable without it. He didn't think he could possibly _get_any more miserable than he already was, and he knew that his father's bank account was the cause.

Naruto knew his father didn't understand that money didn't buy happiness. Hopefully, the older man would realize that it wasn't the most important thing in the world. There was much more out there that couldn't be bought, like friendship, and honour, and... well... _And love?_

The blond frowned at the thought. He supposed love could be bought sometimes, but real love wasn't for sale. Which pretty much explained why Naruto hated his father, and had kept his mother's maiden name, despite Minato's constant insistence that he change it legally to Namikaze.

"He's trying, you know," a voice said quietly, Naruto looking up from tying his black, polishable shoes. "He just wants you to appreciate what he does for you. What he gives you."

Tsunade held his bag out for him and he snatched it from her hand angrily, knowing he was directing his rage at the wrong person, but unable to help it.

"I'd appreciate having a fucking dad," Naruto snapped, ignoring the look he got for his swearing. "He doesn't get it. He'll waste all his money buying shit for me when all I really want is to have five uninterrupted minutes of his time a day. But no, he's all, 'Oh, I missed Naruto's birthday? No problem, I'll just buy him a new car. Oh, I missed his big game? No problem, I'll just buy him a new yacht. Oh, I missed his wedding? I'll just buy him a new house, or a country, or a planet!'" Naruto shouted, flailing his arms slightly, bag still held in one hand. "Money can't buy everything, and it _certainly_can't buy me!"

Wrenching open the door, Naruto started to stalk out before remembering Tsunade hadn't done anything. Turning slightly, he mumbled, "Have a good day," before exiting the house.

"You, too." Tsunade's voice was quiet, and he knew she was watching him walk down the stairs towards where the car was parked.

Naruto slammed on the brakes when he reached the bottom of the stairs and saw the driver standing at the back door of the limo. He'd assumed the limo was for his father, as per usual, and his car was parked behind it, but the car behind the limo was another limo. And the driver standing in front of him now was his own.

"Something wrong, sir?" Kotetsu Hagane inquired, holding open the back door awkwardly.

"Where's the Mercedes?" Naruto asked, trying to calm himself down since he didn't want to take his anger out on a second person who didn't deserve it.

"Your father requested a new limousine for you." Kotetsu shifted uncomfortably. "He asked for me to drive you to school in it. If you like, I can—I'm sure the Mercedes can be pulled out of the garage quickly."

Deflating slightly, Naruto sighed and tossed his bag into the back seat. "No, it's okay," he said, mostly because he could tell his anger was making Kotetsu uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it, it's not your fault."

He climbed into the car and the door was shut behind him, Kotetu hurrying for the front so he could climb into the driver's seat.

"Nice try buying my love, dad," the blond muttered, crossing his arms and glaring out the window.

* * *

**September 14th, 07:57**

"Naruto!" a familiar voice screamed loudly across the quad.

Naruto didn't even bother turning around. The blond instantly leapt to the side, slamming himself against the closest tree just in time to avoid being tackled from behind, his idiotic best friend stumbling and windmilling his arms in an attempt to stop from faceplanting when the body he'd expected to break his fall suddenly disappeared.

It was a normal occurrence, Kiba Inuzuka trying to tackle Naruto, so nobody really paid any attention to it. Naruto was so used to it that the second he heard Kiba coming he immediately dived to the side. He still didn't know _why_the moron insisted on tackling him as a greeting, but it had been close to a year since he'd actually succeeded. One would think he'd have stopped trying. Or at least would have stopped announcing himself beforehand.

"You look like you just rolled outta bed," Naruto commented with a grin, slapping his friend in the back and heading for the front of the school with him.

The other boy laughed and ran his hand through his unruly brown hair, allowing for Naruto to take inventory of his appearance. His shirt was wrinkled and untucked, the top button undone. His tie was barely tied around his neck, and his shoes had scuff marks on them. Not to mention his pants didn't look on right and his hair was a complete mess.

For a weekend, this was typical Kiba. It was also typical Naruto, if he was going to be honest. But for school... their principal was pretty strict, and he knew if Kiba didn't clean up before a teacher saw him, he was going to get sent off to see him again.

"Better not let Ibiki see you like that," he commented.

"Man, Ibiki's fuckin' lucky I even _got_here, dude," Kiba insisted with a laugh, his hands in his pockets now and his single-strap shoulder bag bumping against his ass with every step. "I fell asleep again after my alarm went off. Kurenai came in to lay out my uniform and almost had a heart attack. I just yanked on whatever my fingers found and bolted out the door." He laughed again, shaking his head.

Naruto laughed, too. "Whatever, you're lucky for the added sleep time. Tsunade's always on my ass, she knows me like the back of her hand."

"Eh, at least you get to eat breakfast before school." Kiba wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulders, the two of them walking into the building together.

Laughter instantly echoed down the corridor, high-pitched giggles and whispered gasps permeating the air.

"Hey, look, it's your fanbase," the brunet said with a grin.

"Fuck!" Naruto ducked beneath Kiba's arm and grabbed the other's shirt, hiding behind him and peeking over his shoulder to see if he'd been spotted. So far, the girls were too busy chit chatting to notice Kiba was there. Usually, it wasn't until they saw his blond hair that they attacked, so as long as they reached the first corridor before anyone noticed the brunet heading towards them was Kiba, Naruto was home free.

"Man, how come _you_have an entire school of girls falling at your feet?" Kiba muttered, looking wistfully in the girls' direction, Naruto pushing him around the corner so he could disappear. "Some people get all the luck."

In Naruto's case, it was true. The blond _was_ridiculously lucky, further proved by him reaching his classroom without being spotted, despite how painfully obvious he could be sometimes. Hiding behind someone who was the same height as him wasn't always easy.

Heaving a relieved sigh once they'd entered the classroom, Naruto headed for the very end of the front row so he could take a seat beside the window. Kiba walked up a step so he could sit behind him, since both of them had learned a long time ago there was no point in fighting for the window seat when they could just as easily pass notes sitting in the same column.

Their classroom was set up similarly to how Naruto pictured Harvard must look. The seats were all arranged on a rising platform, just like a movie theatre, so that even the students at the back had a good view of the board. Instead of individual desks, there was only one desk that ran the length of the room from one side to the other, with chairs interspersed throughout the middle. Naruto always chose the seat closest to the window in the first row. If there was no window, he always took an end seat.

He didn't like being in the middle, it made him feel boxed in, not to mention it meant he'd have fangirls on either side of him. At least with this seating, he only ever risked having one. He wouldn't have to worry at all if his best friend wasn't a fucking sun-lover like him.

"You know," Kiba said, leaning forward on his desk, "I would _kill _to be you."

Naruto snorted, not turning to look at him. "That's because you _aren't_."

"Dude, you must be the only billionaire's son in existence who hates that he's rich," Kiba informed him, leaning back in his seat again. "I mean, I don't get you sometimes. The girls in this school are rich, so it's not like they're after your money or anything."

"No, just my last name," Naruto said dryly, turning to regard Kiba, who was trying to balance his pencil on his nose. And failing. "None of the girls in this school know me, or anything about me. They can't want my money because they have their own, so they're either after my last name—"

"By that, you mean Namikaze and not Uzumaki, right?"

"—or my looks," Naruto continued, ignoring Kiba's comment since it was common knowledge he refused to change his last name. "That's not cool with me. If someone's gonna like me, they should like me no matter what I look like or who my father is."

"Dude, you just need to get laid," was the brunet's reply, giving up on the pencil balancing and putting it down on his desk, crossing his arms in front of himself. "Come on, get yourself a honey and let the snake outta its cage for once. You'll feel much better," he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

"Or I could punch you in the face," Naruto said with a shrug, and then grinned. His best friend snorted at him, rolling his eyes, but said nothing. "I don't need to get laid, Kiba. Contrary to what you believe, getting laid is not the solution to every problem. I don't wanna get laid, and I don't wanna be rich." The blond turned to face forward again and let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "I wish something important to my dad suddenly ceased to exist. Like his company. Just... the most important thing in the world to him ups and vanishes. Maybe he'd give a damn about more than just his money then."

"Careful what you wish for, Naruto," Kiba insisted.

* * *

**September 14th, 14:45**

Sasuke Uchiha sat perched on the edge of the back of a van, the trunk door open and his feet resting on the asphalt beneath them. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and one cigarette held lazily between two fingers up by his lips. Every time he exhaled, the smoke obscured his vision briefly while his eyes remained locked thoughtfully on the ground beneath him. He wasn't staring at anything in particular, he was just trying not to think about what he was doing sitting in a van in the parking lot of a condemned building.

His thoughts continued to drift back to the conversation he'd had with his brother months ago, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. He brought the cigarette closer to his lips to take another drag when it was snatched from his hand by another, the skin just as pale as his own.

Dark eyes glared upwards at his brother, Itachi having appeared in front of him. He inhaled deeply before his left eyebrow twitched and he handed the smoke back over to Sasuke.

"Menthol?" he asked, his voice lacking in tone. He exhaled slowly, Sasuke watching the smoke spiral upwards. "Have I taught you nothing?"

Sasuke just snorted. "If you don't like them, then don't steal them." He brought it back to his lips and took another drag, his brother staring at him intently.

"You remember your part?"

Sasuke's eyes rolled upwards once more, the raven glaring at his older brother through his bangs. "I'm not a moron, Itachi. I barely do anything."

"That isn't what I asked." This time, the tone was present, and it was very clear.

The brothers stared at one another for a few seconds before Sasuke averted his gaze. He'd never won a staring match against his brother, why would that change now?

"I remember," he informed him before Itachi had the chance to say anything else.

Itachi didn't say anything to that. He merely checked his watch and looked out towards the street. "His driver should be on his way. I'll get him at the intersection down the street." He looked back at his brother. "Where's your mask?"

"I'll have it on when you get back," Sasuke snapped. "I told you I remembered the plan, didn't I?" He flicked his spent cigarette away, and it hit Itachi's pantleg before falling to the ground at his feet. The older Uchiha stepped forward onto it, his eyes burning into Sasuke's before he reached out and grabbed the younger teen's jaw painfully.

Sasuke winced, but tried to hide it quickly, Itachi's thumb and fingers digging painfully into either cheek. He just stared straight into his brother's eyes, seeing the promise of pain in them.

"Do _not _disappoint me, little brother," he warned. His tone made it clear there would be consequences.

"I won't," Sasuke promised, mostly for his own sake.

Itachi released him, and then wordlessly ran his fingers through his brother's hair, as if smoothing it over for him. "Don't let them see your face."

Sasuke felt repeating that he already knew everything wouldn't help, so he merely nodded, which displaced Itachi's fingers, forcing them to fall back to the older man's side. "I'll go around back," he said in a low voice, standing up and moving out from under the trunk, reaching up to slam it shut.

"Be ready when I arrive. We won't have much time."

Those were Itachi's parting words to him. Not even a goodbye followed the other's footsteps heading towards the street.

"Good luck," Sasuke called after him half-heartedly with a snort. As much hatred as he had for his brother, he was the only thing he had left. He didn't want anything to happen to him. Itachi was family, as much of a jerk as he was. He'd taken after their father. Sasuke wished he had, too. He'd had the misfortune of taking after his mother.

The younger teen climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door, gripping the steering wheel hard and staring down at his hands. He took a second to organize his thoughts, and compose himself before starting the car and easing it around the side of the building to the back parking lot, where it would be hidden from unwelcome eyes.

Sasuke wasn't happy with what they were doing. He didn't agree with it, and he definitely didn't like it. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was illegal, it was mostly because Naruto didn't deserve this. He didn't know the kid, so this wasn't personal to him, but he just knew what it was like to be preyed upon for something he didn't do. They were angry at his father, of course, but Naruto had never wronged them, and Sasuke felt this was a mistake.

He'd seen a lot of Naruto over the past few months, both in person when he and Itachi followed him, and also in newspapers and magazines. Sasuke had learned a lot about him, and the most important thing was that despite how much Naruto smiled, the Uchiha had noticed that his eyes were dead.

Naruto was a very unhappy person. He gave off the impression of someone who was very emotionally distraught but hid it well, and Sasuke didn't like that they would be adding to the blond's instability. Especially since he and Itachi were going to be keeping him for an entire month.

According to Itachi, it was the perfect plan. Sasuke disagreed in many respects, but his brother was a certified genius, so it was hard to argue with him.

If Uchiha Corp suddenly shot back up in the business world, there would be questions and their methods of gaining the amount of money needed to rebuild their company would eventually be exposed. So, Itachi had devised a plan. The idea was to ask Minato for a group of payments at various intervals, around every three or four days. It ensured that, not only would they not just have all the money at once, but it meant safety for the person doing the pick-up since Naruto's life could easily be threatened if anything were to happen to him. If Itachi made the pick-up, and got caught, Sasuke blew Naruto's brains out.

Though they were going to be living together in the same house with the blond, Itachi was going to tell Minato he, the person picking up the money, was staying somewhere different. That way, there would be no need to follow him because it would be assumed he wouldn't ever lead anyone to Naruto. On top of that, they weren't going to tell Minato anything about how long his son was going to be gone, or when the last drop was going to be. If they decided October ninth would be the last drop, that day would obviously have the largest police presence. If they just kept collecting money and then dumped Naruto on his own doorstep one day, they were essentially scot-free.

Itachi had decided that the money collected would be split between himself and Sasuke, and the two of them would keep it in their actual house for about a month after Naruto's return. Then, once a month after that, they would slowly start putting a small fraction of the money into their accounts, alternating between the two of them. They would slowly work Uchiha Corp back up, and once it was doing decently well, they would add in the rest of the kidnapping money with the business money rolling in.

It was the perfect kidnapping. In Itachi's opinion anyway and, again, he was the genius, so there was no room for argument.

"Still," Sasuke muttered to himself, sitting back in his seat and lighting another cigarette, "I don't like this."

* * *

**September 14th, 15:29**

Naruto was out of his seat the second the bell rang, hands quickly packing everything away and ignoring the teacher who was trying to yell out their homework over the student's chattering. He knew they wouldn't be expected to hand anything in tomorrow, because there was no guarantee the homework had been heard. Which was why the last class of the day was always amazing, in his opinion.

Swinging his bag onto his shoulder, he felt Kiba's hands fall onto them and squeeze, the brunet following him towards the door and leaning closer to his face. "So you thought about who you're taking to the Halloween dance?" he asked with a grin, finally pulling away from Naruto to walk alongside him down the corridor.

"That's over a month away, I'm pretty sure I have time to find an excuse not to go," Naruto informed him, turning to flash a grin at him.

"Oh, come on, man! If you don't go, then I can't go, and I wanna go!"

"So go, what's stopping you?" Naruto snorted.

"I can't go without a wingman! Come on, dude, please?"

"No," was the immediate reply.

"Dude, you're gonna get to the end of senior year and wonder what you _did_ in high school. You've never been to a dance, you've never joined any clubs, the only sport you've ever done is basketball, you still haven't gotten laid, and the list goes on! You've only got the rest of this year, and next year, and then you'll be done forever. If you don't do at least _something_, you're gonna be a _loser_in university."

"There's no such thing as losers in university, Kiba," Naruto informed him with a sigh. "People stop caring about that shit after high school." He gave him a look before pushing out the front doors of the school, Kiba right on his heels.

"Fine, then you'll have nothing to talk about with anyone."

"You and I manage fine."

The brunet threw his arms in the air in defeat. "Whatever, man, just keep note of the fact that I said you'll regret it one day."

"Noted," Naruto replied.

"Asshole," Kiba muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. Naruto just grinned at him, and earned himself a grin in return, plus a light punch to the arm. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Unless I die sometime between now and then, always." Naruto punched him back. "Call you later, okay?"

The two of them broke apart, waving, and headed for their respective cars. Naruto could see Kotetsu standing awkwardly near the driver's side door. He was wincing, and his face was pale, one hand tapping against his thigh, as if he were nervous. Naruto cocked an eyebrow when he neared him.

"Kotetsu, if you're still worried about the limo, it's cool. I know it's dad's fault."

The driver winced, and gave him a slight nod. Then he winced again and grit his teeth. "I've... I've hurt my leg, sir. I'm afraid I can't move to open your door for you."

"That's okay," Naruto replied with a snort, heading for the back of the limo and grinning at him. "Shockingly, I know how to open a door." He pulled it open and started to climb in when Kotetsu called out to him again, making him pause.

"Uh, would you not—I think Mr. Inuzuka is hailing you. Perhaps he would like you to spend the day at his place?"

"Nah, he's in one of his moods. Just pretend you don't see him," Naruto insisted with another grin, throwing his bag into the back and starting to bend down again when Kotetsu stopped him for a second time.

"Sir! Maybe you should walk. Home. Today. It's a beautiful day, after all."

"Um, it's a bit far..." Naruto insisted, confused.

"You could use the exercise."

The blond's head snapped back, shocked. "Am I... Am I getting fat?" he asked, suddenly concerned. Maybe he hadn't been hitting the gym enough. Not that he cared so much about his looks, but he _did_care about his health. Still, walking home would take him over an hour, and he'd rather not be in his uniform while doing it.

"Well, no," Kotetsu amended, giving Naruto another wince. "It's just, the air will do you good. And you'll build muscle."

"Maybe some other day," Naruto said with a smile to show there were no hard feelings. He appreciated Kotetsu being honest. "I'm not really feeling so hot, so I'd rather go home and get some sleep. But thanks."

Smiling at his driver, the blond climbed into the back and shut the door behind himself. He put his bag on the ground so it wouldn't slide around on the seat, and buckled himself in before looking out the window.

Now Naruto wasn't stupid. He was actually incredibly smart; third in his class, in fact. It had just never really occurred to him that Kotetsu may have been trying to warn him against getting into the car. Nothing had ever happened to him before, so he'd never assumed anything _would_happen to him. The idea that "it will never happen to me" kicking in until finally, one day, it does.

The car started and moved smoothly out of the parking lot, Naruto hearing the locks click. He just kept his gaze locked on the scenery, not in much of a chatty mood, but at the same time feeling bad that Kotetsu was worried he would be angry. After all, it wasn't the driver's fault his father was a fucking asshole.

When they turned onto an unfamiliar street, Naruto frowned and opened his mouth to ask Kotetsu where they were going when he noticed the partition was up. The dark glass was never up when he was in a limo, because Naruto always liked talking to his driver during the ride. Figuring Kotetsu had put it up because he thought maybe the blond wanted privacy, Naruto reached over to roll it down.

He hit the button, but nothing happened. Frowning and jabbing at it, it still didn't budge, and he snorted. "Great. Dad buys me a limo, and it's fucking dysfunctional."

Unbuckling his seat belt, the blond walked to the seat closest to the window and sat again, knocking on the glass to get Kotetsu's attention, and hoping he could hear him. He didn't know if they were soundproof, too, considering he'd never had it up before.

"Hey, Kotetsu? It won't come down from my side, I think it's broken," he called loudly, listening hard. "Are we taking a new route home or something? Or are you bringing me to dad's office?" He really hoped not, he wasn't in the mood to see his father.

He leaned back a little when the partition began to lower, realizing maybe only his side was broken, but the second his eyes saw the gun aimed at his driver's head, Naruto lurched back down the length of seating, moving away from the front of the car.

"Hello, Naruto."

Naruto didn't recognize the voice. The man sitting beside his driver was wearing a black ski mask, and there were gloves on his hands. What he could see of his clothing was black, and when the other's dark eyes focussed on him, the blond felt chills race down his spine.

"I'm sorry, sir, he was going to shoot you if I didn't start driving," Kotetsu whispered from the front, which earned him getting the barrel of the gun pressed harshly against his temple.

"Don't hurt him!" Naruto blurted out, eyes darting worriedly to his driver.

"I think you should be less concerned about him," the masked figure pressed the gun harder to Kotetsu's temple, "and more concerned about you."

"I don't care what happens to me," the blond admitted honestly. "Whatever this is, it has to do with my father, that much I know. Kotetsu has nothing to do with this. Just leave him alone, and I'll do whatever you want."

"Sir—" Kotetsu cut off when he was hit across the face with the gun, the limo swerving slightly before he managed to get it back under control.

"As the boy said, this doesn't concern you. I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut."

Naruto grit his teeth, eyes darting to the window when the car turned smoothly into a parking lot. It passed by a small, rundown building towards the back, where Naruto saw nothing but trees. Nobody would ever see them here.

There was only one other car present. A white, unmarked van with a figure sitting behind the wheel. When they approached, Naruto could see he was also wearing a mask, his gaze directed towards the front of the limo, obviously ensuring his partner was all right.

Naruto could feel sweat making its way down his spine and he looked back at the man in the front seat. It was obvious what this was. He wasn't stupid, he watched movies. He just felt like a complete idiot because Kotetsu had been trying to warn him, and he'd been too dumb to figure out what he was trying to tell him. And that pissed him off.

Though really, if he'd walked away, Kotetsu probably would have died, so Naruto was glad he'd been too stupid to understand what he'd been trying to tell him. Still, he didn't like this.

"Stop the car."

Kotetsu complied, the limo almost directly beside the van. "I'm sorry, sir," the driver whispered. Naruto could see blood at the corner of his mouth.

"It's not your fault," Naruto reassured him. He wasn't mad at Kotetsu, he'd tried to warn him. Honestly, he was pissed right the fuck off at his father. If he'd had his Mercedes instead of this new fucking gift, this wouldn't have been so easy to pull off. It probably wouldn't have happened at all.

"Naruto."

The blond's attention returned to the masked man in the front seat. He noticed the other man had moved to stand beside his door in his peripheral, but it was still locked for the moment.

"Get out of the car, and climb into the van. If you try anything, I'll shoot your driver."

"I don't trust you," Naruto informed him. "How do I know that once I'm in the van you won't just shoot him anyway?"

The man in the front seat gave him a long, hard look. Naruto kept his gaze, which earned him a scoff and finally the kidnapper broke eye contact, turning to look at Kotetsu.

"Inform his father he brought this on himself. We'll be in touch."

Naruto let out a shout, lurching forward when the gun was slammed hard across Kotetsu's head, the driver slumping forward against the wheel, the horn blaring loudly for a second before he was pulled back in his seat.

Stopping dead in his tracks when the gun was aimed at him, Naruto licked his lips and glanced at the back door of the car, where the other man was still standing. At least he knew Kotetsu was all right. He'd have a headache, but he was alive.

Which was more than Naruto felt he could say about himself right now.

"Essyu is going to take you to the van. If you run, I will shoot him." He motioned Kotetsu.

"I understand," Naruto grit out, hearing the doors unlock.

The second man, Essyu, opened it and climbed in slightly, grabbing Naruto's arm. The blond yanked it free defiantly, glaring, and climbed out of the car on his own. He was shoved forward a step, and he turned to glare at the other again, but stopped at the trunk of the van, refusing to get in.

"I'm not getting in until he's out of the front seat," Naruto insisted, jerking his chin at the limo.

"Ayuu," the second man called.

Naruto was somewhat startled to find that he didn't sound any older than him. Seventeen, eighteen at most. He tried not to let his shock show on his face, and just waited for the other man to climb out of the limo and slam the door.

Only then did Naruto climb into the back of the van—what else could he do? He didn't want Kotetsu to get killed—and sit down. He noticed the entire back had been prepared for this. It was separated from the front by a large board, which looked like it had been hot-glued around the edges. The floor had padding, and all the windows were one-way, so nobody would see him from the outside.

The first masked man, Ayuu, was back. He climbed into the van with Naruto, Essyu still standing out by the door, shifting his weight, obviously impatient to leave.

Grunting when he was roughly manhandled onto his stomach, he let out a cry when his arms were wrenched behind his back and bound tightly with something a little bit softer than rope. Once that was done, the man did the same to his ankles before rolling him onto his back.

"Welcome to hell, Naruto."

The blond saw the butt of the gun fly towards his face, then everything went black.


	2. Essyu and Ayuu

**A/N: Hey guys! So, gonna be doing a tiny bit of Q&A before I start considering a lot of people commented or PM'd me the same questions |D This will just make it easier. If you don't particularly care for my babble, feel free to move along :)**

**1) Q: If this fic is finished, why don't you just post it all up at once?**  
**A: I would love to do that, but the problem is that it's posted on a site where we need to use coding to get italics and the like, so that's how I originally wrote it in my word file. I know I didn't edit it all out in LIS in one of the chapters and got a lot of complaints, so I have to go through the entire fic again and edit out all the tags while simultaneously italicizing/bolding what was originally in the tags, since I didn't do that first time 'round. On top of that, I also need to edit out the detailed smut, since FF doesn't allow it. It'll be implied, but that's the best I can offer. Plus, I don't have a beta so re-reading stuff is always advisable for me as I typo a LOT |D**

**2) Q: How often are you going to be posting?**  
**A: As often as humanly possible. As mentioned above, what slows me down is editing, but moreover, I'm doing overtime at work right now which gives me very little time to sit and edit for extended periods of time. While I'm going to try my best for speedy updates similar to the old me who had no cares in the world and could update daily |D I can't promise how often they'll be up. More than once a week, for sure, though, I'm hoping.**

**3) Q: I went on Y and found your fic but a lot of chapters seem to be missing.**  
**A: All chapters with violence/disturbing circumstances/smut are hidden from public view on Ygal. The only way to access them is to have an account. Please be advised you must be 18+ to have an account there, and the mods WILL catch you if you lie. They have superpowers, I swear.**

**4) Q: Is this fic going to be really dark?**  
**A: Well, I'm not sure how to classify it. I've kind of done the worst I possibly could I think to Naruto in the Roommates trilogy, so I feel this one isn't REALLY that dark. I know a few people asked if Minato would have to go through some horrible tasks to gain his son back, but that's pretty much what FTL was and would be quite repetitive of me |D But idk, I guess it's... fairly mild dark-wise. There's a few choice scenes of unhappy times, but I don't feel there's anything REALLY dark in this one.**

**I think those were the main ones I was getting asked... If I missed one or people have more questions that overlap, I'll answer them in the next chapter or, if magically there are more hours in the day, I will respond to reviews. I totally miss doing that, too :( It was fun :( ANYWAY! Chatty McChatterton. That's all for now! Hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto Masashi apparently doesn't believe in Halloween. Despite the fact that I dressed up as him, he said that wasn't a valid argument for Kiba's ownership. Jerk :(**

* * *

**September 14th, 16:47**

A deep groan slid up a tanned throat, Naruto's eyebrows coming down into a frown, head turning to the side before he straightened it. As consciousness slowly returned to him, the blond could feel pain pulsing through his brain with each pump of his heart, but he did his best to ignore it, struggling through the black murkiness of sleep to reach the surface and become more awake.

The first thing his brain clued in to—aside from how much pain it was in—was that he was lying on a cold, hard surface. He slowly sat up, his entire body aching in places he didn't remember getting hit. He could only assume they'd let him bounce around in the back of the van for God knew how long. It felt like he'd gotten tackled by an entire football team.

Once he was in a sitting position, his body having protested the movement, he blinked open his eyes to make a mental inventory of where he was. All he saw was black. Frowning, he blinked again, and deduced either the room was pitch black, his eyes were covered, or he was blind.

Personally, he was hoping for one of the first two because he really didn't like the thought of being blind, he would have more issues than he already did.

Reaching up to figure out if the scratchy feeling on his nose meant his eyes were covered, the blond froze when he heard chains rattling. Staying still for a few seconds and trying to analyze the situation, he listened hard to see if anyone had heard him. He wanted a little bit of time alone before his kidnappers decided to come back for a visit.

He heard nothing, so slowly, he felt at his wrists, finding metal cuffs closed around them. As quietly as he could manage, he followed one of the chains up its length to find it hooked into a metal loop embedded in the wall. Okay, so the chances of getting out of his chains that way wasn't going to happen.

He returned his focus to the cuffs around his wrist, finding there were two latches on them. One seemed to be the release for them, and the other made it seem as though they could double as handcuffs, linking both his hands together instead of them being free like they currently were. A shift of his feet informed him he also had shackles around his ankles.

_Wow, whoever these people are, they really didn't hold back._The blond wasn't worried yet. He knew he had at least twenty-four hours before his chances of survival diminished. He watched TV, he knew these things.

Still unable to see, the blond tested the length of the chains, raising his hands towards his face, and was pleased when he found he could actually reach it. He touched at whatever was covering his eyes and frowned at the texture, not sure he recognized it.

"It's plaster."

The blond jumped a mile high at the voice, not having considered that someone may have been there. He hadn't heard anything when he'd listened earlier, but that just meant the other had stopped moving once it became clear Naruto was waking up. That made him wonder if that meant the man had been watching him sleep.

As creepy as that was, Naruto was also a little self-conscious at the thought and quickly wiped at his mouth in case he'd been drooling. How sexy that would have been, right? Luckily, he'd retained at least a fraction of his dignity because there was nothing there.

"Plaster?" Whoa! Was that _his_ voice?! _I sound like someone took a chunk of sandpaper to my throat! Shit, that must've been some nap!_He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying to make it sound less gravelly. "What do you mean plaster?" he tried again, more pleased with the results.

"We took a cast of your face to ensure you wouldn't be able to see," was the only response he received.

_If this is made of plaster... then I can probably get it off!_

The blond brought his hands up again to inspect his makeshift blindfold, fingers catching on the sides and feeling two metal clamps embedded on either side, which was linked to a chain and lock at the back of his head. Well, there went that idea. He'd assumed it would just be a chain that he could break through the plaster, but with the clamps there, that was impossible.

Letting out a sigh and dropping his hands, chains rattling annoyingly loudly, Naruto just leaned back against the wall behind him and stared in his captor's general direction. "So, who are you?" He knew he wouldn't get much of a reply, he just wanted to know which one he was. He'd heard two names before, and he wasn't even sure that meant there were only two of them. Maybe there were three. Hell, maybe there was an army.

"You can call me Essyu," was the other's reply, but he said nothing more. Naruto really hadn't expected him to.

Letting out a snort, the blond leaned back more. "Nice to meet you, Essyu. An absolute pleasure. My name is—" Naruto cut himself off. If he'd been fucking kidnapped, they obviously knew who he fucking was.

"Naruto Namikaze."

"Uzumaki," he corrected automatically. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Namikaze is my father's name, _not_mine."

There was silence for a few seconds, and he heard a chair creak, as if Essyu were shifting in it or even standing to leave. He'd expected him to say something about his declaration, but the kidnapper remained silent, so Naruto did, too. What exactly did one say to someone holding them captive? "So, how 'bout them hockey games this season"? Not likely.

"I didn't mean for it to come to this," Essyu said after a moment of silence. The way he said it implied he'd been debating mentioning it at all. He probably felt the silence was awkward though and, really, it was. "Your father brought this on himself."

"So I guess it _is_money you want." Naruto had never doubted it, but he felt some part of him had hoped this wasn't about that. He fucking hated money, why did everything have to revolve around money?

Now that it was confirmed, Naruto wondered if he should start worrying about his well-being. Given what he knew about his father, he felt inclined to believe that he was probably going to get killed considering Minato didn't value anything above money. If they wanted money for Naruto, they were going to be sorely disappointed.

And the blond was going to end up very dead. Oh, the joys of being rich. How wonderful they were.

"What else would we kidnap Minato Namikaze's son for?" Essyu replied, not having been privy to Naruto's inner monologue.

"So you're gonna just ask for money because you're pissed at my dad?" Well, that made two of them. Naruto was pretty pissed at his dad right now, too.

"Your father caused a lot of problems for my partner and I. We're merely getting back what is due to us." Another silence, and then the man's conscience must've been too much for him, because he muttered, "I don't like the methods we've implemented for getting back at your father, but I'll try my best to keep everyone clear-headed. Like I said, I don't like this, and I'd rather not have your death on my conscience."

_Wow, real humanitarian, this guy,_the blond thought with an internal snort.

"Well, thanks, I guess, for wanting me alive to keep your conscience clear."

That didn't get a response, and really, he hadn't expected one so at least he wasn't disappointed.

Another long silence followed that, the two of them shifting and clearing their throats every now and then. Naruto didn't like how quiet it was, but he knew the other wouldn't offer up any information about himself, and the blond figured he probably knew all he needed to know about him. And even if he didn't, he doubted he cared.

"You're not how I expected you to be," Essyu said, breaking the silence again and causing a small sigh of relief to puff past Naruto's lips.

"What do you mean?"

"In my experience, rich kids are spoiled and care about no one but themselves. Ayuu said the only person you cared about was your driver. You agreed to come along provided he wasn't harmed."

"Well, yeah," the blond said, frowning slightly behind his mask. "He's been my driver for as long as I can remember, and he has nothing to do with this. Realistically, even I don't have anything to do with this, but regardless, he definitely didn't. I wasn't going to let him get his brains blown out because he drives some rich kid's son around. That ain't right."

Another silence, this one shorter. "You're a strange person."

"I like being different," Naruto offered with a grin, which earned him a snort, but he knew it was one of amusement.

"So," the blond added, shifting around to try and get comfortable, which was much harder than it sounded while sitting on a hard floor with shackles tying you to the wall. "What is it daddy dearest did to you?"

"What he always does," was the bit out reply. Naruto heard the other shift in his chair again. "My parents were killed in a car accident, and—" Essyu paused, as if realizing what he'd said.

"Dude," Naruto snorted, "do you know how many people die in car accidents each day? I'm not gonna be able to figure out who you are with that tiny detail. Even adding in the fact that your parents probably owned a company is still a billion to one chance."

This silence was longer, and Naruto actually thought maybe the other wasn't going to finish, but eventually, he did, in a quiet voice, as if trying to convince himself if he said it quietly enough it would be like he hadn't said it at all.

"After they died, your father pretty much bankrupted their company, despite my partner's best efforts to keep it afloat. Your father was ruthless, and he crushed the place as if it were nothing. As if thousands of people's lives wouldn't be affected by his actions."

He could hear the anger beginning to creep back into Essyu's voice, and Naruto pressed his lips together.

"I know it won't mean much to you, considering, but I'm really sorry he did that." Naruto was sincere in his apology. He knew first hand how money made people act. He knew these men were desperate, and only doing this because they had no other choice. Naruto could understand that. He didn't like it, especially since he was the one suffering for his father's actions, but he at least understood.

"Saying that isn't going to get you released," Essyu informed him.

"Well, duh," the blond replied dryly.

"Then why say it?"

"Because I mean it. I'm sorry my father is a money-hungry asshole. Is that so weird?" He snorted, turning his head to look away, though the action was mostly lost due to his lack of sight. "But just fair warning, which is actually the only reason I'm concerned in any way right now... My dad's not gonna pay you." He turned to face the other once more. "He cares about his money more than anything else in the world. If you think he's gonna cough it up for the likes of me," the blond laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry to disappoint, dude, but you're just gonna have me sitting here on my ass until you decide to shoot me. My dad's not gonna pay shit, he loves his money too much."

"We'll see." Essyu didn't sound too concerned.

Well, good for him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Naruto inquired.

"You just did."

Rolling his eyes, he asked, "Well, can I ask you another one?"

"You just did." He could hear the smirk in the guy's voice.

_Oh, great, he's a comedian._ Naruto snorted. _Well, at least I don't have to worry about dying of boredom._Bright side. There was one after all.

"I'm going to ask you a question."

"I might even answer it," was his reply.

Choosing not to go along with the other's game any further, the blond just took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's say, hypothetically, that my father decided he wasn't going to pay you."

"He will."

"I said hypothetically," Naruto insisted, trying not to get annoyed. This guy was really obnoxious. "If _hypothetically_my dad decided I wasn't worth however much you're gonna ask for, what exactly is going to happen to me?"

He didn't really want the answer. He really didn't. But a part of him, a small, masochistic part of him, really needed to know. He had to have an idea of what would happen if his father turned out to be as much of an asshole as Naruto'd always thought he was.

That question was obviously food for thought, because the silence for that stretched on so long that Naruto suspected the other might have left. There had been a few creaks and noises since his question, so it was possible he'd walked away without bothering to answer.

Listening hard, though, the blond could hear the other's slow, steady breathing, and realized he was probably thinking. Wondering what to say, and whether or not it was really a good idea to say anything. It wasn't exactly the easiest question to answer, he'd give him that.

"I won't let Ayuu take this further than it needs to go. If your father refuses, we'll find another way," he finally said, his voice even.

While not exactly a straightforward answer, Naruto chose to see it as the other saying he wouldn't let his partner kill him. Which, really, the blond was happy to know.

"Ayuu's your partner, then? The guy who was in the limo?"

"Yes."

Naruto nodded, remembering the look in the other's eyes. He was definitely a killer and if he had to make a choice between being stuck here with Essyu or Ayuu, Essyu was the winner, hands down.

"Essyu."

The blond jumped a mile high at the new voice, mostly because of its proximity to him. Sure, he'd been speaking for a little bit, but he hadn't even heard the other approach. He was like a fucking ninja.

"I need you upstairs."

The chair Essyu was sitting on creaked, and Naruto heard them both heading across the room before more creaking met his ears. _Stairs,_ he decided. _They're climbing a flight of stairs._

He heard one of them pause halfway up, and then Essyu spoke, suggesting it was him. "I'll be back in an hour with food. Do you have any allergies?"

"Not to my knowledge," the blond replied. "I'm not really a fan of seafood, though, but I know I'm not really in a position to ask for any favours."

"No, you're not," Ayuu's voice said, his own quieter since he was further up.

Naruto just shrugged. He'd mostly said it just in case they'd show him pity. Realistically, he wasn't too concerned. Canned tuna was all right, he could handle that, and he severely doubted they were going to spend money buying him fish or clams just to make him suffer when they were trying to get money out of his dad. That would just be counterproductive.

He heard the footsteps continue their ascent up the stairs and then a door was clicked shut and locked, leaving Naruto alone in what he could only assume was a basement. Shifting slightly to get more comfortable, the blond rubbed at one of his arms, feeling the beginnings of the winter chills setting in.

Turning his head in a slow circle, he let out a sigh and leaned it back against the wall. Not having his eyesight was going to be a problem for him. He'd never really appreciated it until now. That was always how things were though, wasn't it? Always taken for granted until one day it just disappears?

Frowning, the blond realized that he was left here, alone, with nothing to do. He hoped they'd find some way to entertain him during his stay. Hostage or not, if he died of boredom, they were screwed.

* * *

**September 14th, 16:22**

Scowling down angrily at the proposal he was looking over, Minato slashed out a few sections outlined before adding in his own personal notes, signing the bottom, and depositing the sheet of paper onto a large stack balancing precariously at the corner of his desk.

Turning to his computer, he typed something into the password box when it popped up, and then opened his email, typing furiously for a few minutes before firing it off and turning back to his paperwork. He was just about to grab a new file when he heard the large double doors that led to his secretary's office bang open loudly.

His head shot up, eyebrows down in a frown, and eyes locked on the oak double doors in front of him, as if he could see through them to discern what was going on. He knew it wasn't a threat, his security wouldn't have allowed whoever it was to get this far if they believed he was dangerous.

"I need to speak to Mr. Namikaze!" a voice yelled, almost hysterical.

Frowning, the chairman stood, recognizing the voice, and stepped around his desk to head for his door, even as his secretary argued that he'd been told not to be disturbed. He could hear a struggle, and knew it was his secretary holding whoever this was at bay. Regardless of her lithe and petite stature, the woman was deceptively strong. She'd almost broken Minato's hand during an arm-wrestling match once.

Opening his office door and poking his head out, he watched the raven-haired woman struggle to hold back a familiar figure.

"This is an emergency! You don't under—sir! Sir, I need to speak to you!"

Minato was taken aback by Kotetsu's appearance, and figured the only reason security had let him up was because they knew he was a staff member of the Namikaze household. The driver had dried blood caking one side of his face, and a very obvious split lit. His eyes were wide and panicked, and he was sweating profusely, as if he'd run all the way to the office from the house.

Frowning, Minato exited his office. "It's all right, Ayame," he said, moving closer to them. "Kotetsu, come in." He waved the other man into his office.

Turning to head back inside as well, Minato started for his desk but didn't even make it a step towards it before Kotetsu's panicked words sliced through his brain, his foot freezing as if it were stuck in cement.

"Naruto's been kidnapped!"

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in. At first, they'd sounded foreign, as if he didn't even know what they meant, and his body had understood them before his brain had. When it finally sank in that Kotetsu had told him something ridiculously important, he whipped around, eyes widening, and saw fear and panic reflected back at him in Kotetsu's own eyes.

"What?" Suddenly, it felt like the world had just fallen out from under the blond man's feet. He grabbed the door for support, almost losing his footing, and stared at the ground, completely at a loss.

Naruto? _His_Naruto? He'd been what? But that was impossible. He was Minato Namikaze's son, nobody went after Minato Namikaze's son. Not unless they had a death wish. Naruto was... he was always so careful. Kotetsu was always so careful. Nothing had ever happened to him, not even when he'd been a child, how could this possibly be real? This was a joke, his son wouldn't have let this happen. This was impossible!

Forcing himself to stay together, Minato grabbed at Kotetsu's arm, pulling him into his office, and pointed his finger at Ayame, who was staring at him with wide eyes and both hands covering her mouth.

"You heard nothing," he ordered her, his voice coming out much calmer than he felt. "You heard absolutely nothing." He shut the door quickly and turned to look at the driver behind him.

"What happened?" he demanded, striding purposefully to his desk. He needed to sit down.

Minato wanted to know everything before he decided on what to do. He knew for certain that calling the police right away would be unwise, and he assumed Kotetsu hadn't done so either because there was no guarantee that was what Minato would've wanted. And while the blond man's fingers were itching to pick up the phone and call the police, and the FBI, and the CIA, and the NSA, and the fucking army, he was going to think this through calmly and rationally before he did anything. One wrong move and he was going to get his son killed.

"What happened?" he repeated, this time more loudly, since Kotetsu seemed to be in shock.

"I-I'm sorry, sir." Kotetsu looked ready to fall apart, and Minato really couldn't let him. If he fell apart, then the blond would fall apart.

"Just tell me what happened!" he shouted, slamming his fist against his desk.

That seemed to snap Kotetsu out of his shock and he spoke so fast his words were practically tripping over themselves.

"I was picking Naruto up from school today, like I always do, and I stopped at a red light a few blocks away. A man got into the passenger's seat and pointed a gun at my head." He licked his lips. "I told him I wasn't going to do what he wanted, but he told me that if I didn't, he was going to find Naruto at a later date, and shoot him. I couldn't take that chance, so until I could come up with a better idea, I drove him to the school. I'd been planning on warning Naruto, but the masked man told me not to move from the driver's side door, and that if I did, he was going to shoot Naruto, and not me." Kotetsu shook his head, raking his hands through his hair and staring at the floor. "I tried. Even with the gun in my back, I tried. I knew the man couldn't hear me, but I didn't want to make it known that I'd told Naruto there was someone with a gun in the front seat. I tried to make him go with Kiba, I tried to make him walk home, just—anything that would make it look like he'd walked away of his own volition, but it didn't work. He got into the limo and..."

Minato's stomach fell when he heard the word 'limo.' He knew without a doubt that this would not have happened if his son had been picked up in the Mercedes. It wouldn't have been so easy for him to get caught. And now he was pissed. He was pissed because this was his fault. He had done this.

"What happened after Naruto got into the car?" Minato asked, his voice low.

"I was told to drive to the condemned building on Broadway and east thirty-second. All I know is that there was another man waiting there with a van, and then I was knocked unconscious. I-I don't know if they hurt Naruto or not but..." he hesitated.

Minato must've had the look of a mad man in his eyes, because Kotetsu continued quickly, as if worried the older man was going to leap across his desk and shake the answer out of him. Truth be told, he might have if the other had hesitated any longer.

"The masked man told me to inform you that you'd brought this on yourself, and he would be in touch."

Minato's eyes shot to his computer, checking the time. When had this happened?! How long ago since Kotetsu had been told to relay this information to him?!

The blond practically vaulted over his desk, scrambling to his door and wrenching it open urgently. "Ayame!"

The woman let out a startled shout, turning around to look at him. Normally, he would have apologized, but today... today, he didn't fucking care.

"Has anyone called for me within the past hour?"

"Y-yes, sir," she said, turning to bring up a list of all his phone calls. He moved to peer over her shoulder. "Seventy-two calls."

"They all left names?"

"Yes, sir."

He felt himself relax slightly. If they'd all left names, then the kidnapper hadn't been one of them. He hadn't missed the call yet. He still had time.

"Anyone who calls from now on, you patch them through," he ordered, striding back towards his office. "Have all calls to the house diverted here, even if it comes from Inuzuka. I want every single phonecall to come through my office."

"Of course, sir." Ayame picked up the phone and started to dial a number but Minato was beside her again, jabbing down on the hang-up button. She glanced up at him.

"You," he whispered, then turned around, looking at Kotetsu who was now in his office doorway. "Both of you. Do not say a word of this. Not one word, not to anyone. Not _anyone_."

"But sir, the police—" Ayame cut herself off when Minato looked back at her, the anguish and fear in his eyes making her nod, her hands closing tightly around the receiver. "Yes sir, I won't tell a soul."

"Yes sir," Kotetsu echoed from the doorway to Minato's office.

The blond opened his mouth to say something else when his phone rang. His head whipped towards his office and he bolted for it, almost knocking Kotetsu down and running into his desk in his haste to reach his phone.

"Yes, hello?!"

_"Mr. Namikaze, I was—" _

Minato hung up. It was one of his employees. He didn't care about what they wanted or needed. He didn't care about anyone but his son.

Forcing himself to straighten, he slowly moved around his desk and sank into his chair, covering his face with both hands. He heard his office door shut, and figured either Kotetsu or Ayame had done it to give him privacy. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything. All he cared about was his son.

He could feel his hands shaking. He needed to call Tsunade. He had to tell her about what had happened. He just didn't want to. He couldn't bring himself to make someone else panic as badly as he was right now.

_Fuck... Fuck, Naruto... Jesus Christ, what are they doing to you?_It wasn't something he wanted to think about, but he couldn't help it. They could be doing any number of things to him. Beating him, torturing him, rap—

Minato's head shot up. _Oh God!_What if they raped him? What if they even just made him use the restroom, or made him shower, or anything?! Naruto would have a panic attack, and without anyone familiar present—well, really, without Tsunade present—he wasn't going to be able to calm himself down. He would probably end up passing out. And even worse, they would know his weakness! They would know he had a problem!

"Fuck!" Minato swept his arms angrily across his desk, papers exploding across the room and his computer falling loudly to the floor, the screen breaking and sparks shooting from the broken monitor. He kicked at his desk repeatedly, the wood cracking and splinters breaking off, falling onto the floor.

After he'd thoroughly trashed his office, the blond fell down onto his desk chair, hands covering his face once more, and shoulders shaking.

"Fuck..."

* * *

**September 14th, 17:00**

Sasuke leaned back in the chair he currently occupied, eyes glazed over slightly while staring at the table, and a cigarette held loosely in one hand. He hadn't smoked much of it; he'd lit it with the intention of smoking it, and had gotten distracted.

A remarkable feat, considering the house he and his brother—and their captive—were currently in had barely anything in it. It was a rental Itachi had gotten under a fake name, so they'd only brought the bare minimum from home, and purchased a few extras things they would definitely need.

Needless to say, a television hadn't been on either list, so there wasn't much to do there. Which he supposed made sense, this wasn't a vacation, and if he was busy watching TV, he might miss Naruto running out the back door or something.

Which led him to why he hadn't been smoking his cigarette. He'd been too busy thinking about the blond, and what he'd said. Sasuke had to wonder if any parent could possibly be _that_selfish. That they would let their child rot somewhere and die just because they didn't want to pay a ransom. Did people like that even exist?

Hell, he knew Itachi wasn't going to win any awards for brother of the year, but even he wouldn't let Sasuke get killed off in a basement somewhere. He knew his brother well enough to know at least _that_much.

Sure, the lines could be a little blurred considering what Itachi had forced him into just so they could _get_money, but Sasuke knew his brother cared about him. He knew that no matter what, Itachi would pay for his return, even if it had to be with money he didn't have.

"What is it?"

Sasuke jumped, looking up to find his brother standing in front of him. He hadn't even heard him come in, which was normal with Itachi. He moved like a ninja, and half the time, he scared the crap out of Sasuke whether it was intentional or not.

The teen's eyes flickered past him to see what he'd bought, but nothing was visible through the plastic bags sitting on the counter. Itachi had gone to get more food while Naruto had been unconscious. It was the only reason Sasuke had been sitting downstairs the whole time, watching him. If his brother had been home, he would've stayed upstairs, because he knew Itachi would have snapped at him about getting attached.

Which was ridiculous, they'd just gotten him here less than an hour ago.

"Sasuke."

The raven's eyes snapped back to his older brother's, realizing he'd been asked a question. Flicking the ashes from the end of his cigarette and taking a drag from what was left of it, he stalled, trying to get the words to come out right.

"What are we going to do if Minato doesn't pay?" he asked, trying to make the question sound unimportant. Merely a matter of curiosity.

"We'll dump his body in the river," was the immediate reply.

Sasuke scowled. "Don't you think that's going a little far? Naruto hasn't done anything."

Itachi paused, turning away from what he was doing, and eyed his brother, Sasuke meeting his steady gaze. The older Uchiha turned completely, leaning back against the counter, and crossing his arms, eyes still locked on Sasuke.

"What did he say to you, little brother, that has you so eager to defend him already?" Though the words weren't threatening in any way, the tone certainly was, implying that Sasuke was going to regret it if he didn't answer truthfully, and right away.

Sasuke kept his eyes locked on his brother's, placing the end of his cigarette between his lips again, inhaling the filter before wincing and putting it out, exhaling sharply and leaning back in his seat. "Why would I defend someone I don't even know or care about? I just don't think we should do anything rash. We may have stepped over the line and become kidnappers, but to my knowledge, we've not crossed over the one that reads murderers." _Yet,_his mind supplied helpfully. He chose to ignore it.

"What do you suggest we do, then, if his father doesn't pay?"

Sasuke didn't know. He didn't have an answer to that, so he stayed quiet, eyes on the still smoking end of his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Don't get attached." It was a warning, not a request.

"I won't," he shot back instantly.

"You already are," Itachi accused in a steady voice, eyes boring into Sasuke.

The teen did his best to ignore it, eyes locked on the ashtray. He heard his brother finish unpacking the bags on the counter, then the jingle of keys. When Itachi began to leave without a word, Sasuke finally looked up.

"Where are you going?" He didn't like how often Itachi left him alone in the house with Naruto. If someone came snooping, _he_was the one they were going to catch.

"To make the call." He turned back to his brother. "Don't feed him until I get back."

The door shut behind him and Sasuke let out a small sigh, turning his head away from the door and scowling at the opposite wall angrily. Ignoring everything his brother had said—or implied, since he didn't really speak much—the raven reached for his pack of smokes and pulled another one out, lighting it and inhaling deeply. While exhaling, he tossed the lighter back onto the table and pulled a magazine closer to himself, staring down at the picture of Naruto and his father.

He may not know the blond personally, but even he as an outside bystander could see how sad and alone Naruto looked in the picture. Anyone could smile, even if they didn't mean it. The secret was in the eyes, and looking at the blond's eyes, it was clear he was a very unhappy kid. It was an easy look to recognize, considering Sasuke saw it every morning when he looked in the mirror.

Sasuke had to wonder why Naruto would be so unhappy. He had money, his father gave him everything he wanted, he had a nice house, a good education, friends. Sasuke felt he had nothing to be upset about, really. What more could he possibly want? The only thing he could think of was that maybe Naruto disliked being in the public eye. And being the son of Minato Namikaze couldn't be easy. Maybe that was why his last name was Uzumaki.

It was weird, but Sasuke felt that under different circumstances, they probably could've been friends. Considering they had the same haunted look in their eyes, and Sasuke felt very much in Itachi's shadow, as he was sure Naruto felt he was in his father's, they weren't so different, the two of them. He felt like he would never be good enough to be seen as _Sasuke_. He would always be "Itachi's brother." Naruto probably felt like he would always be "Minato's son."

And he and Itachi were proving that, weren't they? Using him to pay back his father. He wasn't an individual, he was "Minato's son," and Sasuke suddenly felt like shit for all of this.

His head shot up when he heard chains rattling coming from below. It stopped quickly afterwards, leading him to assume the blond was just trying to get comfortable, but he figured he may as well check, just in case. If Itachi had found out there had been a noise down below and Sasuke hadn't checked, he would kill him.

He didn't think Naruto would try to escape, but desperate times and all, it was still possible. So with a sigh, he shoved the magazine away from himself and stood, heading for the basement door with his half-smoked cigarette in one hand.

* * *

**September 14th, 17:12**

Inhaling deeply on a cancer stick while standing outside the city mall, Itachi leaned back against the wall and watched cars roll by, completely disinterested. He merely used the passing cars as a means to pass the time while he finished off his cigarette. He was still plotting and planning everything in his head, trying to think of ways things could go wrong so he could have an escape plan before things got worse.

He'd already decided that every pickup and any subsequent phonecalls were going to occur at a different location, that way no one would be able to track him. And he'd been smart enough to ensure there were no cameras aimed at the payphones in the mall parking lot. No matter what they tried, they weren't going to find out who made this call.

Obviously, there would be police with Minato by now. He wished he'd told Kotetsu to tell him no police, but even in movies when people said there wasn't, there always was. He would just have to hope he was smarter than them, which he already believed, given his IQ.

Still, he wanted to make sure everything went smoothly, so that he wasn't found, or followed, and his and Sasuke's lives weren't destroyed more than they already were.

Contrary to his brother's belief, Itachi was doing this for him. He would never openly admit it, but everything he was doing right now was for his little brother. He was tired of watching Sasuke suffer because Itachi couldn't make enough money for the two of them to live comfortably. He was pissed off that his brother had had to drop out of school so that he could get a job and help pay the rent. They made enough now that they could afford to do what they were doing, but they would never have enough for Sasuke to be able to go back to school.

And that was unacceptable to Itachi. His brother was going to finish high school if it killed him. His brother was going to have the life he should have had before Minato had stolen it from them and used his money to coddle his own spoiled little shit.

That made him furious. It was why he insisted on doing the calls and picking up the drops. If he got caught, Sasuke would be able to get away with at least some money. He could go across the border, to either Canada or Mexico, and he would be able to live a semi-comfortable life. Probably not what he'd intended, and definitely not what Itachi had planned, but if that was his fallback, he would take it.

Flicking his cigarette away and exhaling through his nose, Itachi crossed the street and headed for the payphones, ignoring the angry honks from drivers who'd had to brake to avoid hitting him. He didn't pay any attention to them. He just walked up to the payphones, pulled out the small voice altering device he'd made off instructions on the internet, and picked up the phone.

Putting in a quarter and dialling Minato's office, knowing that was where the rich fuck would be, he huddled in slightly so that nobody outside would see him pressing the device against the receiver, his voice automatically altered as soon as he spoke.

The line rang maybe for half a second before it was answered.

_"Yes, hello?!" _

"Hello, Mr. Namikaze," the Uchiha said calmly, enjoying the obvious panic in the older man's voice. "I know you've been informed of the situation, so listen very carefully—"

_"Don't you hurt my son, you son of a bitch! You hurt my son, I will find you, and I will kill you!" _

Itachi's face hardened. "I would suggest you keep such outbursts to yourself, otherwise your son is going to be returning to you in a wooden box. I haven't had a reason to hurt him until now, so it might be best if you consider your words more carefully."

He could hear Minato struggling to calm himself down on the other end, and it made him feel euphoric. He had never enjoyed someone's suffering as much as this moment. Maybe Minato would understand even just a fraction of how he and Sasuke had felt when their parents had died and he had taken them for everything they had.

_"I'm listening,"_the other man said more calmly.

"I am a reasonable man, Mr. Namikaze. As long as you and your son give me no reason to harm him, I won't." It was the truth. He wouldn't hurt him unless he deserved it. Scaring him, on the other hand, that he had no problem doing. "First and foremost, as useless as I feel it is to say, I know it's expected of a kidnapper, so no police."

_"I've seen enough movies to know the police only make things worse."_ Minato took a shaky breath. _"I have no way of proving it, but I did not involve the police, and I don't plan on involving them. I value my son's life more than that."_

Itachi could tell he was being truthful. The way he spoke, the words he used... Minato was being honest, and that kind of impressed him. It also made things easier for him.

"Your son is with someone," he continued. "Should anything happen to me during our conversation, or any of the pickups, he will kill your son. If I don't report to him every ten minutes when outside our location, he will kill your son. Do you understand?"

_"Yes,"_Minato whispered, the fear and worry evident in his voice. Itachi enjoyed hearing it.

"My conditions are very simple, Mr. Namikaze. I will be sending you a video of your son every three days. Every time you receive one, you will note the date and time as proof that your son is still alive. The end of every video will provide you with a time and location for the drop. Each drop will consist of one-hundred thousand dollars in unmarked bills. Should you attempt to stay behind to find out who I am, your son will die. If you try to trace the money, your son will die. If you are late, your son will die. If you insert the wrong amount, your son will die. Do not test me, Mr. Namikaze. My hatred for you allows for me to feel no remorse with relation to your son. I would happily kill him with the knowledge that it would make you suffer."

He could hear Minato breathing hard on the other end of the phone, and he knew he was really pushing his buttons. The thought alone made all of this worth it.

_"I understand."_ Minato's voice was thick, as if he'd started crying on the other end. _"I will not be late. I will not deceive you. I will not attempt to stay behind. I will do everything you've asked of me. Just... when will I get him back?"_

"If you're implying I would keep him forever and continue to leech money off you, though tempting, I would never sink so low as to become you," Itachi snapped, unable to help letting a bit of how personal this was to seep through. "Your son will be returned before Christmas, that is all the information I will provide you with. Of course, this is only if you've given me no reason to kill him."

_"I won't. I'll follow your instructions to the letter, I promise. Please just—Please don't hurt my son."_

"That, Mr. Namikaze, will depend on you. The first video will arrive tomorrow." With those final words, Itachi hung up.

He glared at the phone, as if it were the source of his anger, and pushed the device he'd been using back into his pocket. Exiting the phone booth, he glanced around to ensure no one was paying any attention to him, then walked back towards his car.

If he wanted to get the video out to Minato before morning, he would have to get started on it now. That meant getting home immediately, especially since he didn't trust his brother not to get attached.

Only Minato's son could be fucking conniving enough to make a kidnapper feel compassion for his captive.

Itachi wanted to shoot the kid already. It was going to be a long month.

* * *

**September 14th, 17:06**

Sasuke stayed frozen at the top of the stairs, cigarette still in one hand, and eyes narrowed at the steps before him while he listened. He couldn't see Naruto, not from where he was standing, but he didn't want to go back downstairs, because he didn't want Itachi to give him more grief about being attached.

Still, with the amount of clanking around he could hear, he felt the blond had to be up to something so he descended the stairs silently, glad for the neighbour who had just started mowing his lawn, because it meant his presence would be masked for a few seconds.

Reaching the landing, he turned to find Naruto trying to curl up onto his side on the floor. The blond had probably opted to sleep for lack of anything better to do. Sasuke could understand that, he felt that way most of the time.

Because of where his chains were attached to the wall, though, the blond wasn't having much luck getting comfortable while lying down. His wrists were hanging off the ground slightly, and Sasuke watched him shift again, sitting up and trying to figure out what he could do to get more comfortable.

Sasuke's eyes shifted unwillingly to the small futon in the corner of the basement. Though Itachi had made it clear he didn't care about Naruto's comfort, he'd still bought him a futon, though when they'd arrived home with him, he'd refused to let Sasuke bring it over. The younger teen could only assume his brother wanted Naruto to earn it. With Itachi's conditions, he knew the blond never would.

He eyed the small blue padding across the room for a few seconds, knowing that even the slight elevation it would provide would be enough for Naruto's wrists to not be hanging off the ground. They would be just right.

Turning to look back at Naruto, who'd really been nothing but polite and understanding given the situation, Sasuke decided his brother could go fuck himself and headed across the room towards the futon, putting his cigarette down on one of the ledges nearby and bending down to pick it up with a grunt.

The sound made Naruto jump and jerk into a sitting position. "Essyu?"

"What?" Sasuke demanded, dragging the futon across the floor.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, his voice obviously hinting at his curiosity, but it kind of pissed Sasuke off that he thought he deserved an answer to his question.

Not that Naruto thought he deserved one, considering his tone, but it still pissed him off he'd asked as if he'd expected one. Sasuke almost had half a mind not to answer, but he just grunted and let the futon fall down beside Naruto.

"I was bringing the futon over."

"There's a futon?"

"Did I stutter?" Why was he being nice to this guy again?

"Okay..." Naruto pressed his lips together and said nothing else.

Sasuke just stood in front of him, glaring at him for a few seconds before nudging the futon forward until it hit Naruto's foot. The blond leaned back against the wall, slowly using it to help him get to his feet, and pressed himself back against it more so that Sasuke could push it as close to the wall as possible.

After that was done, Naruto stepped onto it and sat down, letting out a small sigh and running his fingers over the material covering the futon, smiling slightly. "Thanks. How come it was over there?"

"Ayuu said you had to earn it."

"Won't you get in trouble?" the blond asked, his voice suggesting he was frowning behind his mask.

"What's it to you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not allowed to worry that the guy who's actually being somewhat decent to me might get in trouble?"

Scowling, Sasuke crossed his arms and wondered what kind of game Naruto was playing. Why would he fucking care if Sasuke got into trouble or not, it wasn't like he was going to let him go or anything.

"Hn." It was all he could think of to say before turning around and snatching up the blankets Itachi had also piled in the corner. He tossed them at Naruto, hitting him in the face.

The blond just snorted and muttered a thanks before unfolding one of them awkwardly and lying down on the futon on his back, blanket over himself.

Sasuke went to retrieve his cigarette, taking a slow inhale while leaning back against the wall, watching Naruto. He couldn't help but wonder if that was his real hair colour. He'd never met anyone who had naturally blond hair, especially that particular shade. It was nice, it reminded him a little of the sun.

The thought made him snort at himself with how pathetic it was. His hair reminded him of the sun? What was he, a poet?

"What's that smell?" Naruto asked.

"What smell?" Sasuke shot back.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked," the other replied dryly, sitting up so he was resting on his elbows and inhaling deeply. "Are you smoking?"

"So?"

"Are you gonna be like this the whole time I'm here?" Naruto asked with a sigh, falling onto his back again. "It's not like I'm being a pain in the ass, I'm just trying not to die of boredom. Considering you need me alive, you'd think you'd try a little harder."

Scowling at the blond, it took a conscious effort for Sasuke not to snap at him. Instead, he took another drag from his cigarette and glanced towards the stairs when he heard the front door slam. Turning back to Naruto, who hadn't moved, he exhaled and headed back for the stairs.

"I'm going to get your food."

"Okay. Thanks, I guess?"

"Hn." Sasuke started up the stairs, then paused. "You need to piss?"

He noticed the blond tense slightly at the question, and frowned. What kind of person tensed when someone asked if they needed to use the fucking bathroom?

"I'm fine, thanks."

Shrugging one shoulder and putting the cigarette back between his lips, the raven continued up the stairs, shutting the basement door behind himself when he reached the top. He turned to find Itachi sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal, and walked past him to grab a pot to fill with water.

"So?" Sasuke asked him, cigarette dangling from between his lips while he filled the pot up.

"Everything is moving according to plan." Itachi seemed incredibly pleased with himself. "We'll be back on top in no time."

Sasuke said nothing to that, he just kept his gaze locked on the water slowly filling the pot he was holding, unable to help the fact that he felt this was a really bad idea.


	3. Same Eyes

**Disclaimer: Did you guys know that Kishimoto Masashi has a personal guard who are very experienced in Martial Arts? Yeah, me neither. Lesson learned.  
**

* * *

**September 14th, 17:54**

Naruto had to go to the bathroom.

Naruto _really _had to go to the bathroom.

_Fuck_ did Naruto _ever _need to go to the bathroom!

But no, he couldn't, because he was stuck in a random basement somewhere chained to a wall. Additionally though, he wouldn't have gone even if he could. No way was he dropping trou in front of two dudes he didn't know! He couldn't even _shower _naked, there was no way he was taking his pants off in front of two kidnappers.

Though... what the hell was he supposed to do? If he pissed his pants, they'd just strip him anyway. The point would be moot. Was there even the possibility of winning, here? Or was it just a lose-lose no matter what for him?

Fuck!

He looked up out of habit, despite not being able to see, when he heard the door at the top of the stairs open and footsteps descending towards him. He could smell smoke approaching, obviously clinging to the person's clothing, and hoped it was Essyu. He seemed decently okay, for a kidnapper, anyway.

The blond leapt a mile high when one of his hands was grabbed and he wrenched it back almost defiantly, his pride wounded that he'd gotten so startled. He heard a chuckle, and deduced that it was Essyu.

"Pussy."

"Hey, how about we cover your eyes and see how you like it?" Naruto snapped, then forced himself to calm down.

"I was just teasing," Essyu replied, a scowl evident in his voice. "Here."

The blond felt a bowl being put into his hands, and he quickly set it down on the futon when the heat from the food inside it burned his fingers. A fork was placed in his other hand and he nodded a thanks.

"It's Kraft Dinner," he was told. "I wasn't sure what else to make you."

"This is awesome. Thanks for not making me like, a tuna sandwich."

"I was thinking about it," the other replied, a smirk clear in his voice, and Naruto laughed.

He decided that since he didn't want to burn the inside of his mouth just yet, he would wait a little for the meal to cool down enough so he could at least hold the bowl in his hand. He felt it would be pretty hard to eat something he wasn't holding, considering he couldn't see. How blind people did it, Naruto had no idea.

"You're an interesting person," Essyu informed him, Naruto looking up in his general direction.

He heard the chair creak, suggesting the other had taken a seat, and shrugged. "How do you figure?"

"For someone who's been kidnapped, you seem fairly comfortable and calm."

"Well, shit, why not?" Naruto snorted and touched the bowl again. "I'm sitting comfortably on a futon eating Kraft Dinner. Apart from being a little bored, I can't really complain. It's not like you guys have been torturing me, not unless boredom counts as a form of torture these days.

"I'll see if I can maybe get you some audiobooks."

"Thank you for being smart and not saying a television," Naruto said with a grin. "That would've been pretty useless considering the blindfold. But yeah, audiobooks would be cool. If my dad actually agrees to pay," he snorted at the thought, "you should have him buy them and send them here. That way you won't be wasting money on my entertainment."

"I'll talk to Ayuu. We'll see."

Naruto just shrugged again and picked up the bowl, finding it was cooler to the touch now, though not by much. Still, he was starving, so he brought it close to his mouth, and took a bite, letting out an exclamation of happiness while he chewed. "Dude! That's awesome! I have tried literally everything I can think of, including dumping two packs of cheese into one box of KD, and I've never been able to get it this cheesy! How did you do that?"

"You like it extra cheesy, too?" He could hear the shock in Essyu's voice. As if he were stunned they had something in common. "My—partner hates it that way. I think it gives it more flavour, otherwise you're just eating plain noodles."

"How did you do it?" Naruto asked, shovelling more of the cheesy awesomeness into his mouth.

"You add the butter first, then mix in the cheese, that way it has something to latch on to while you're mixing it. I add the milk last, and even then, I may as well not add any since I barely put any in. Maybe like, a tablespoon."

"Sweet, I'll have to remember that."

He heard Essyu snort. "Rich kids eat KD?"

"Shockingly, we know about things like Pizza and McDonalds, too." Naruto opened his mouth in mock shock. "Who'd have thunk it?!"

Essyu snorted again and Naruto grinned, taking another bite of his Kraft Dinner. Fuck was it ever good.

"You know, just because I'm rich doesn't mean I'm any different than anyone else." He shrugged. "My mum died when I was younger, and my dad isn't around enough to get on my case about what I eat and don't eat. I'm not really your typical rich kid."

"No kidding," Essyu muttered, but Naruto didn't think he was meant to hear it, so he didn't comment on it.

He just continued to eat, which was ridiculously hard to do without being able to see the bottom of his bowl. More than once, he'd brought his fork to his mouth with nothing on it, and he was quickly getting frustrated.

Naruto just hoped Essyu wasn't sitting in front of him _watching _him eat, because that would be a little bit creepy. First he was watching him sleep, then he was watching him eat... what next? Watching him take a pi—

The blond cut the thought off, not wanting to remind himself of how badly he needed to take a leak. He just kept eating.

He heard the stairs creak a few seconds later and assumed Essyu had gone back upstairs, but another voice rang out in the dank basement, and he realized it was the other's partner, Ayuu.

"Why is he on the futon?"

"You said he had to earn it." Essyu's voice was positively glacial when he replied. "He earned it."

Shifting uncomfortably, Naruto tried to make himself invisible, not wanting to attract more attention to himself than necessary. This was like some kidnapper version of good cop, bad cop. Essyu seemed nice enough—again, for a kidnapper—and Ayuu seemed like a complete and utter piece of shit. He definitely didn't want to get left alone with Ayuu.

He also decided that he was going to pretty much listen to Essyu as much as possible, and do everything he asked—save things that involved getting naked—because Naruto was very aware of the fact that Essyu was the only thing protecting him from Ayuu.

"Is he done? We need to start, it's getting late."

"Why don't you ask him?" Essyu snapped again. "I'm not his messenger, he's got a mouth."

_Okay..._Naruto thought slowly, listening to the two of them interact. They sounded very much like how Kiba and Hana sounded when it was laundry night when they were on vacation and didn't have hired help to do it for them. It made him wonder if maybe the two of them were brothers. Earlier, when describing how he made his Kraft Dinner, Essyu had paused for the briefest of moments before saying "partner," and Naruto wondered if it was maybe because he'd almost said "brother."

"Are you done, Namikaze?"

"It's Uzumaki," he snapped back. "And yes, I'm done."

He didn't know that the bowl was necessarily empty, but he wasn't going to go digging around for more noodles, especially if they weren't there. And he felt full enough, so it wasn't a huge deal. He was sure they would feed him three times a day, so long as he behaved, so he wasn't going to overstuff himself.

The blond jumped again when the bowl was wrenched from his hands, and was glad for his reflexes because the action almost made him piss his pants, he had to go so badly. That was the bad thing about being startled while needing to take a leak. Luckily, he'd held it in, but he wouldn't be able to for much longer.

"I'm getting the camera," Ayuu informed his brother—Naruto didn't know for sure they were brothers, but he felt they were, so he would start viewing them as such.

"Hn," Essyu replied.

Naruto could hear Ayuu making his way back up the stairs, almost as silently as he had come down them. He'd thought that Essyu was quiet before, but now he knew that Ayuu was going to be the one to watch out for. Naruto could be sitting there, minding his own business, and _bam! _Ayuu would be there.

Though hearing he was making a video was kind of nice, because hopefully it meant he wouldn't be here too long. Tell his dad he was fine, explain how much money they wanted and where to drop it off, and that would be that.

"Naruto." He turned his head towards Essyu's voice, tilting it slightly in inquiry. "Do you need to use the bathroom?"

He paled slightly. _Say no,_ his brain screamed. _Tell him no, and that you're fine, you can hold it. Say no!_

Chewing at the inside of his cheek slightly, Naruto knew he couldn't hold it that long. He'd already almost pissed himself, and if they weren't going to give him a new set of clothes, he definitely didn't want to wet himself.

"Yeah," he whispered in a low, defeated voice.

Essyu didn't say anything. Naruto just heard the chair creak and a second later, the kidnapper was undoing the cuffs around his ankles. They came free, and the blond reached down to scratch at his left leg, which had been killing him with how itchy it was since he'd woken up.

After a few seconds of that, his hand was grabbed and pulled forward, keys jingling loudly while Essyu undid the cuffs around his wrists. Naruto heard the click of a switchblade, but Essyu didn't say anything. The blond just took that to mean "I'm not gonna threaten you, but if you run, you know what's coming." He just nodded and stood up from his sitting position once his second wrist was freed.

A warm, calloused hand pulled gently at his wrist, leading him across the basement. Naruto walked into the doorframe of the bathroom, and he heard Essyu snort slightly. He turned to glare at him, but knew the action was lost behind the plaster.

It was weird suddenly knowing how blind people felt. He'd always wondered how they could do this, but now he felt he would always be ridiculously impressed with their self-sufficiency. It must've been hard being led around by someone, not knowing what was around them, not even knowing what their helper looked like. Naruto was mostly wondering if Essyu would leave the bathroom at all, and whether he'd be able to know if he didn't.

Fuck, for all he knew, Essyu was actually going to watch him take a piss! Wasn't much of a step away from watching him eat and sleep, right? Fuck!

"Wait," Naruto insisted when Essyu manoeuvred him around the doorframe. "Wait, I need to talk to you about something."

"If you need to take a shit, it's not really something I'm interested in discussing," Essyu replied, the hints of a smirk in his tone.

"What? Gross, dude, no!"

"All right, what is it then?"

Naruto hesitated.

"Well?"

"Nevermind," he muttered, turning back towards where he estimated the toilet was.

Somehow, he didn't think telling his kidnappers he was molested as a child and had a deep, psychological fear of exposing himself would be such a brilliant idea. Essyu'd probably just think he was weird, but if Ayuu found out, he would totally make his life miserable. He seemed like that kind of guy.

He was pulled forward a few more steps and then his hand touched the top of the toilet.

"I'll be outside." Essyu walked three steps before a door began to creak shut. "And there's no window in here," he added, as if in afterthought, and the door clicked shut, latch meeting home.

But how did he know?

Naruto turned towards where the door was and scowled behind his mask. How did he know for sure that Essyu had actually _left _the bathroom? What if he was standing there, upping his stalkerness another notch? Even if the blond swept his arms out, Essyu would be able to see and anticipate what he was going to do, and step out of the way. How would he ever truly know?

It took a conscious effort for him to stop himself from hyperventilating. This wasn't a crisis. This wasn't the end of the world. He just fucking wanted to piss without having to relive a past he barely even remembered. Struggling to inhale and exhale at a normal rate, Naruto's hand tightened along the top of the toilet lip, his teeth grinding against one another. He could do this. Even if Essyu was watching, he could fucking do this! It wasn't a big fucking deal!

A knock at the door made him jump.

"Are you actually taking a shit in there?"

Well... his voice _sounded _like it was coming from the other side of the door... Maybe Essyu felt that since there was no window, and Naruto was blindfolded anyway, he didn't need to stand there and watch him. Well, Naruto didn't know for sure there was no window, since he couldn't see, but even if there had been, what was he gonna do? Climb out it, run outside blindfolded, and fall off the edge of a cliff? For all he knew, they were on a fucking mountain. Hundred foot drop? No thanks.

"No, just give me a second, I'm pee-shy," he snapped back. Though it was partly true.

Forcing another deep breath into his lungs, he yanked his uniform pants and boxers down and hastily took a seat on the toilet, feeling like a complete and fucking loser. He pulled angrily at his hair, wishing and cursing whatever God existed for him to get over his childhood trauma within the next few hours so that next time he had to piss, he could whip it out with the door fucking open, if need be.

He knew the chances of that were slim, but a guy could hope.

Finishing up, he stood and yanked his pants back up quickly, doing them up and finally relaxing once he'd relieved himself and covered himself back up. He felt around for the flush and pulled on it before working his way to the sink and turning on the water. He couldn't find the soap, so he just assumed there wasn't any and ran his hands under hot water, drying them off on his pants.

Putting his hand on the doorknob, he let out a slow breath, calming himself down while listening the tank of the toilet refill itself. When it stopped, he heard another knock at the door.

"It can't possibly be this hard to piss with your eyes covered."

"If you're so sure, maybe _you _should try it," Naruto grumbled back, turning the knob and finally opening the door.

Essyu's hand returned to his wrist, pulling at him and leading him towards the futon again. He could hear something being set up across the room, and figured Ayuu was back with the camera.

Naruto tripped slightly when his foot hit the edge of the futon, but he climbed onto it before losing his balance and sat down again, holding his hands out for the cuffs. Essyu secured them around his wrists, then his ankles, and stepped back.

"Essyu, you're recording."

"Hn," was the reply to that.

Naruto could hear them shifting around, obviously getting everything set up how they wanted it. He felt the futon sag slightly beside him and figured he was going to be positioned accordingly or something when a cry escaped his throat, his head wrenched back when a hand buried itself into his hair.

"Fuck," he grit out. "That fucking hurt!"

He knew it was Ayuu, because Essyu was presumably over by the camera. Naruto let the other man manhandle him roughly into the position he wanted, forcing him onto his knees. The way he was posed was cutting off circulation in his left foot, but he doubted Ayuu would care, so Naruto just grunted and grit his teeth.

The cuffs around his wrists were fiddled with before both of his hands were pulled behind his back, Naruto grunting when they were clasped together. He figured he'd been right in assuming they could double as handcuffs.

He felt the futon sag again, Ayuu shifting until he was behind Naruto, hand still buried in his hair and pulling his head back further than the blond felt it had the ability to go. He breathed hard through his mouth, finding it really hard to swallow, but he didn't let that bother him.

He was just hoping that, given the position, they weren't about to slit his throat on camera.

That would be unfortunate...

* * *

**September 14th, 18:22**

Sasuke had to admit, the second his brother had told him to record, he knew things were going to get rough for Naruto. His brother wasn't exactly the hardest person in the world to read. He knew he should have argued, at least a little bit, but he hadn't. He'd just kept his mouth shut and watched.

He watched Itachi position the blond roughly, pulling and tugging him the way he wanted.

He watched Itachi get behind Naruto and yank his head back so far that it was obvious he was having a hard time breathing.

He watched the captive gasp loudly through his mouth, muscles in his neck constricting.

The raven didn't know what kind of point Itachi was trying to make, but Naruto honestly didn't seem too concerned. Despite the rough positioning, he still looked decently calm, as if he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Itachi wasn't going to hurt him.

Maybe he trusted Sasuke would stop him from hurting him. The thought unsettled him a little, not only because it was true, but because Sasuke didn't want this guy to trust him. He didn't want to end up letting him down when he couldn't protect him from Itachi.

Because nobody could be protected from Itachi. Not even Sasuke.

The younger Uchiha waited for his brother to give him the signal, eyes raking over the other's body briefly. He was wearing all black, with gloves and his ski-mask. The latter, obviously, was because he was going to be on camera. Kind of pointless to try and remain anonymous if your face is on candid camera, right?

"I don't plan on being here all night," Itachi informed him.

Sasuke just gave him a look. He wasn't fucking psychic, he didn't know his brother was ready. Ignoring the glare he received in return, the raven hit the record button and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Speak," Itachi hissed into Naruto's ear, the word much too quiet for the camera to have picked it up. Sasuke himself had barely heard it.

"Hey dad," the blond forced out before laughing darkly. "How's it goin'? Doin' good? Glad to hear it." He let out a grunt when his head was pulled back further.

Sasuke gave his brother a look, telling him to lay off on pulling the kid's hair before he snapped his fucking neck. He hadn't really expected Itachi to listen, so it wasn't a shock when he didn't. He'd just figured it was worth a try to see if he could save the blond a little bit of pain.

Then, things took a turn for the worst. Sasuke scowled angrily across the room, hands balling into fists and eyes averting slightly.

"Get your fucking hands off me," Naruto growled angrily, struggling slightly. "Get the fuck off me, pedo!"

Itachi just jerked his head back harshly, ignoring Sasuke's look and Naruto's angry words, his hand slowly making its way down along the blond's torso, and then back up beneath his button-down shirt, caressing his stomach lightly with his gloved fingers. Naruto struggled against the hold, but Sasuke knew there wasn't anything the blond could do. With his head how it was, and the position he was in, he could do little more than bite out curses.

The older Uchiha's hand travelled up higher, exploring the caramel-coloured torso. His hand rubbed back and forth along Naruto's chest before stopping at a nipple. Sasuke forced himself to avert his gaze again, shifting in his chair, and resisting the urge to rearrange himself. He grit his teeth together, then glanced back up.

Naruto had jerked his shoulder, struggling to remove Itachi's hand from a place he didn't want it to be. Surprisingly, it actually worked.

Well, Sasuke had thought so, at first. But then Itachi's hand just started moving lower, heading back down his chest, along his stomach, and further down still.

The blond froze at that before he jerked himself backwards, struggling against his own weight to get his legs out from under him.

"Get the fuck off me! Get off me! Fucking sick piece of shit, don't touch me!" Naruto shouted, his voice rising slightly in octave. "Don't _fucking _touch me!"

Itachi's hand dipped beneath the hem of Naruto's pants, and Sasuke snapped. He knew it was jealousy more than concern for the blond's psyche, but either way, he jerked to his feet and turned the camera off.

"That's enough," he snapped.

Itachi paused in his movements, eyes slowly shifting from Naruto to Sasuke. "Turn it back on."

"No. This wasn't part of the plan," Sasuke shot back angrily.

He had to wonder if his brother could tell. Could tell that he was somewhat jealous. Sasuke had been the nice one, he'd been the one to make friendly with the blond—well, mostly—so it wasn't fair Itachi was the one who got to molest him.

Well, not that Sasuke would have were things reversed, but that wasn't the point. He just hadn't really thought about it. It certainly explained why Itachi had continuously been going to his room with one of the magazine pictures of Naruto. Sasuke hadn't really considered that his brother found Naruto attractive. They usually didn't have similar taste.

And Sasuke thought Naruto was very good looking, so he'd assumed Itachi wouldn't. Still, regardless, this hadn't been part of the plan, and jealousy aside, he didn't feel this was a good idea.

After what felt like the longest staring contest Sasuke had ever experienced with his brother—and probably the first one where he refused to look away—Itachi snorted and pushed Naruto's head forward, standing fluidly and walking around him.

The blond was breathing hard, his hands clenched behind his back and his head bowed. Sasuke could tell he was a little freaked out, though he was hiding it well. But if he could notice, then obviously Itachi could, too.

Sasuke took an unconscious step backwards when Itachi neared him, pulling the camera off the tripod and smirking at him before turning and heading for the stairs. He climbed them silently and closed the door at the landing behind himself.

Turning back to Naruto after having watched his brother ascend to the upper level, he walked towards him slowly, being sure to shuffle his feet so he wasn't startled, and bent down beside him. Naruto jerked away from him when he went to reach for the cuffs.

"It's me," Sasuke snapped, unsure of why the other's action had pissed him off.

"Well, wear a fucking bell or something," Naruto snapped back.

Sasuke stared at him hard, as if believing his gaze would pierce through the other's brain, but Naruto just turned his head away, fists still clenched behind his back, chains rattling slightly when he shifted.

Snorting, the raven leaned forward, reaching around to undo the cuffs so that the blond's arms were free again. Once they were, Naruto reached up to rub at his neck, wincing slightly.

"Real awesome guy, that partner of yours," the blond muttered.

"He's trying to punish your father," Sasuke replied honestly, shifting back on the futon to sit more comfortably. "His one-track mind isn't allowing for him to remember you're not him. Especially considering."

"Considering?" Naruto prompted.

"I'd have thought it was obvious. You look identical."

The blond snorted. "Yeah. Hurray me. At least my dad knows mom never had an affair."

Sasuke assumed he hadn't meant to say that, because the blond clicked his teeth together afterwards and ground them loudly, his legs shifting so he was sitting cross-legged and his arms crossed in front of himself.

Not knowing what to say, and feeling like his presence probably wasn't appreciated at the moment, Sasuke stood to leave the basement when Naruto spoke again.

"How much worse is this going to get?"

Turning back to Naruto, he found the blond looking in his general direction, blue eyes covered by the white plaster.

It was hard not to feel bad for him. Sasuke had grown up with Itachi, he was used to him. Naruto...

"I don't know." It was all he could say. He honestly had no idea. "He's a sick fuck, though so..." He shrugged and started for the stairs. "Might make you jack off on camera, for all I know." He shoved his hands in his pockets and started up the stairs. "I'll try to keep him in line, but no promises," he called over his shoulder.

"Essyu." Naruto's voice was relatively quiet, and the raven paused on the steps, turning to look at the blond before he went too high up and lost sight of him. "How long am I going to be here?"

Sasuke stared at the other teen for a long while, not sure he really wanted to answer that question. "As long as it takes," he finally said, deciding it was safest. "Like I said, I'll try to keep Ayuu in line."

"You won't be here all the time."

That was true, but he was definitely going to be around more than Itachi was. "I'll be around enough."

"I just..." Naruto trailed off, seemed to think of how to word something, then decided against it. "How come you're not a complete dick?"

Sasuke snorted at the abrupt subject change. "Because," he said, continuing up the stairs. "You have the same eyes as me." He shut the basement door behind himself.

* * *

**September 15th, 04:03**

Minato slept badly that night. He'd woken up numerous times in a panic, rushing to his son's room and expecting him to be lying peacefully in bed. He kept expecting the entire ordeal to be a nightmare. But it wasn't a nightmare.

Every time Minato ran to Naruto's room, his bed was still empty.

Tsunade had been in so much shock when he'd informed her of what had happened that one of his other maids, Shizune, had had to bring the older woman to her room. He hadn't seen her for the remainder of the evening, and figured it made sense.

While Minato was Naruto's father biologically, he knew that Tsunade had always been more of a parent to him than Minato had ever been. It hurt him to admit it, but he knew it was the truth. If he thought he was suffering, it was probably nothing compared to how Tsunade felt.

By now, news of Naruto's kidnapping had spread throughout the staff, but the blond had made it expressly clear that anyone who went to the police or the media was going to have the wrath of Minato Namikaze brought down upon them, and everyone knew how dangerous that could be.

Minato had sent a few of his staff away on paid leave—the ones he trusted the least, and therefore had hoped hadn't heard about the kidnapping yet—and the others he'd arranged accommodations for within the mansion. He wanted to be alone, but at the same time couldn't bear it. This was the only thing he could think of to do.

His biggest fear was that the police would somehow find out. He'd watched enough television to know that the police only ever made things worse. The chances of Naruto returning to him alive were slim, at best. With the police involved, he knew his son's survival would plummet. He wasn't going to risk that. He would just do as they said, send the payments, and get his son back. That was all he wanted.

He didn't care about the money. He didn't care about the sons of bitches who had taken his child. All he cared about was Naruto, period.

After a few more fretful hours of tossing and turning, Minato finally checked his watch and stood after tossing his blankets off himself. He headed out of his room and towards the stairs, rubbing at his arms slightly when he felt goosebumps break out across his skin.

He figured he would check the mailbox again. He'd been doing so every few minutes for the past few hours of wakefulness. He knew the kidnapper wouldn't come himself to drop the video off, he'd probably pay some bum to bring it to Minato's front door, but that didn't matter. _Who _brought it wasn't important, he just fucking wanted it. He needed to make sure Naruto was still alive.

Descending the marble staircase for the umpteenth time that evening, Minato crossed the foyer to the front entrance and pulled open the large oak doors. He looked down at the ground first, and saw nothing. Turning, he moved towards the mailbox embedded in the brick wall beside the door, and looked inside.

He saw something glint.

Reaching in urgently, he wrenched out a DVD, staring at it like a dying man holding the elixir of life.

Two words were written on its surface. 'Play Me.'

Without wasting even a second, Minato turned and bolted back into the house, not even bothering to close the door behind himself. He raced to his study, fumbling with the case to get it open while kicking his desk so his mouse would move and bring his computer out of sleep mode.

Pushing the disc into his D: drive with shaky hands, he quickly found Windows Media Player and double clicked on it, hoping the DVD would work on that.

It did. The option to start playing the disc popped up on his screen and he clicked on the play button, sinking into his chair and pressing his right fist against his lips. He already felt what little of his dinner he'd eaten churning in his stomach, and he hadn't even seen anything happen yet.

The disc whirred in the drive, and his screen went black. Then, words slowly scrolled across his monitor, red letters on a black background.

"Are... you... watching?" Minato read aloud while they scrolled past.

There was an awkward cut scene between the black screen and the next imagine, suggesting whoever had done this either didn't know much about video editing, or hadn't bothered to clean it up before sending it out.

Minato felt his food churning more violently in his stomach, and shifted his hand so that it covered his mouth entirely, palm flat against it instead of a fist, when he saw his son. He was kneeling on what looked like a mattress or a futon, his head wrenched back and a grunt passing through his lips.

The father's eyes shifted to the date and time in the corner, noting that this had happened earlier in the evening, around dinnertime. That meant that, at the very least, yesterday evening, Naruto had still been alive.

_"Hey dad."_ His son didn't sound _too_ unhappy, which he supposed was a good thing. Then again, Naruto had never really shown unhappiness towards anything. Except Minato, anyway. _"How's it goin'? Doin' good? Glad to hear it." _Another grunt passed through his lips, and Minato exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.

"Fuck, Naruto." The older man rubbed at his face with both hands, unwilling to believe this was actually happening. If he'd been more careful. If he'd anticipated this or even had imagined this could happen... But no parent ever could, could they? Minato had spent Naruto's entire life saying things like, "Not my son. Never _my _son. No one would ever think of taking my Naruto."

And he'd always believed it was true. He knew he could be fairly ruthless, and he'd always assumed people would know not to fuck with him, and especially not with his family. He'd never thought this could happen to him—until it did. But wasn't that always how things worked out? It could never happen to you until it happened to you.

Focussing back on the screen, Minato's eyes widened a little and his hands shot up to grip the sides of his monitor. What the fuck was that man doing?!

_"Get your fucking hands off me!"_

"Get your hands off my son!" Minato shouted at the screen, despite knowing it wouldn't do any good. He knew this video was hours old, and that what he was seeing wouldn't change no matter how much he yelled at it.

He just continued to watch in horror while the masked man behind Naruto began to molest his son, running his dirty, unworthy hands all over the blond's chest, caressing him as if he _owned _him.

Minato's grip tightened around the screen, his mouth going dry. Tears were forming in his eyes, because he couldn't believe this was happening. Couldn't believe that he had angered these people so much that they were making his son suffer for his crimes. What could he possibly have done to these people that made them hate him so much they would torture his son in order to get back at him?

"No!" The word tore itself from his throat, his heart stuttering in his chest when he saw the man's hand changing course, moving down instead of up. "Please, no!"

His son had already endured that once. He'd already been scarred and traumatized by it once!

"No, no, no," Minato repeated, his heart slamming against his ribs while he watched the hand move lower, and lower.

_"Get the fuck off me! Get off me! Fucking sick piece of shit, don't touch me!" _The panic in Naruto's voice made it even worse. He doubted the kidnappers could tell the difference, but Minato could. He could tell, and that made it even harder to watch. But he couldn't look away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away!

Just when the man's hand had dipped beneath the hem of Naruto's pants, the screen went black.

"No!" Minato shook the screen. "No, wait! What happened?!"

He didn't know which he preferred: The screen going black and him never knowing what had happened, or actually seeing the man's hand dip lower into his son's pants. On the one hand, he didn't want to know. On the other, he was almost desperate to. Had they stopped after the camera had turned off? Or had they continued on without recording it? Maybe they were saving that footage for later? But no, Minato had been promised a new video each time, so he could check the date.

He tried to convince himself they'd just left it at that, but it was hard. And he also realized the video wasn't done and had to pause it when the red letters were beginning to scroll across the black background again. He took a deep, slow breath and covered his face with shaky hands, struggling to calm himself down.

It took almost twenty minutes for him to compose himself, but he finally managed and sat up once more, moving the mouse to unpause the video and reading what he at first had thought was more scrolling text, but soon realized was just words appearing on the screen as if he were watching someone typing them.

_September 16th, Naruto's school, room 304. The money is to be left beneath the teacher's desk at 12 midnight. You're a rich man, Mr. Namikaze, I'm sure you'll think of something to get inside. I await your payment. Don't be late._

The screen went black and Minato swallowed hard, letting out a slow breath, then fumbling for the mouse when the disc started to repeat itself, the red letters scrolling across the screen once more. He didn't want to see it a second time. Even once was more than enough.

Burying his face in his hands again, the older man struggled not to cry. His hands were shaking uncontrollably and all he could see behind his closed lids was Naruto thrashing. All he could hear was the panic in his voice. This was his fault. His son, who was so traumatized he couldn't even _shower _without a towel on, was stuck with a psychopath who was going to make his life miserable all to get back at Minato.

And it was working.

He felt gentle arms slowly wrap around him from behind and looked over his shoulder, Tsunade's face buried in his neck. He could feel her shaking, as well, and just that made him snap. He whirled in his chair, the woman taking a step back, and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to himself, hugging her tightly, and sobbing into the front of her nightshirt.

Her hand moved smoothly up and down his back, and he could hear how strained her voice was when she shushed him, and told him everything was going to be all right. He felt like a child. Scared, confused, and alone. He was certain that was how Naruto felt.

"Sh, it'll be okay," Tsunade promised.

Minato just hugged her more tightly, and prayed to God she was right.

* * *

**A/N: What the Eff FF?! Why are you screwing up my spacing whenever stuff is italicized! I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO EDIT THIS TWICE! -anger-  
**


	4. Talking

**A/N: So I'm REALLY sorry, I meant to have like, three chapters posted up by this time this week, but my go-to site (aka YGal) is currently being hella threatened and that's kind of been holding my attention when I'm not working or sleeping |D I actually almost forgot to post this today, and I'm REALLY sorry! I promise I will try and post at least one more before the end of the week, two if I can find time to edit that much text. PLEASE FORGIVE ME I AM SORRY! I JUST DON'T WANNA LOSE Y ;~;  
**

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto Masashi has given me a life ban of reading Naruto because he feels every time Kiba shows up, I start going crazy and trying to steal him again.  
**

* * *

**September 15th, 10:07**

Naruto awoke with a start when loud, heavy footsteps banged around upstairs and for one, disorienting moment, the blond had absolutely no idea where he was. Slowly, the previous day's events returned to him, and an involuntary shiver wracked his body. He didn't want to think about Ayuu any more than absolutely necessary, and he really hoped Essyu kept his word about keeping him in line.

Shifting backwards so he was against the wall, one hand clutched at the front of his shirt, bunching up the material covering his stomach. He'd known that Ayuu was just doing it to scare him, and to punish his dad, but there had been more. It was almost like he was doing it for himself, and not to make Minato suffer. Would he have gone further had Essyu not stopped him? If the other had just sat there, or even left the room, would Ayuu have reached into his pants and...

Naruto exhaled sharply, not wanting to think about it. He'd only ever jacked off a few times in his life—odd for a teenager, of course, but given his mental state, not all that unusual—and the thought of someone else doing it...

He swallowed hard, wondering just what, exactly, Ayuu was going to do to him once he found out his father wasn't going to pay. What would he do? How angry would he get? How far would he go...?

"Are you even awake? I can't tell."

Naruto jumped so high he was surprised he didn't hit the ceiling and sat bolt upright on the futon. "Jesus, fuck, Essyu!" He reached up to cover his face, finding the action awkward with the plaster. "Fuck. Don't scare me like that. Fuck." His heart slammed against his ribs and he struggled to calm himself down. "Shit, and here I thought I was doing pretty okay with hearing you guys come down."

"You were snoring pretty loudly when I did, might explain why you didn't hear me."

Oh, brilliant, Essyu was watching him sleep again. That wasn't creepy at all. Naruto reached up to make sure he hadn't been drooling, though he didn't know why he cared. Pride, he supposed. He was already lacking in that at the moment.

"You know, watching someone sleep is kinda creepy."

"I wasn't watching you sleep, and even if I was, it was to make sure you weren't going to wake up and escape." He could tell Essyu was kind of insulted at the assumption, and Naruto rolled his eyes behind his mask. "I was reading."

Naruto heard pages being turned, as if Essyu were purposefully turning them loudly to ensure Naruto knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had a book in his hands. Naruto knew it was a book, because magazines didn't sound like that.

"Down here?" Naruto inquired after stretching a little.

"Ayuu doesn't want you left unattended for too long."

"Yeah, because I'm really gonna be going anywhere," Naruto said dryly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. Really, the action was lost when the other party couldn't see it. "So you're stuck babysitting?"

"I have a book. The only difference right now is I'm reading it in the chair here instead of the one in the kitchen."

The blond wondered why he wouldn't be reading it in his room, but he doubted he'd get a reply to that, so he didn't bother asking. Instead, he said, "What book are you reading?"

"_Ice Station_, by Matthew Reilly." Essyu hesitated, as if wondering whether or not to say something, but then probably decided it was safe since he continued. "I've read it eight times. It's my favourite book."

"Really?" Naruto tried to dredge up the author in his mind. He was a bit of a bookwork during the summer, since Kiba's family usually went away and video games could only entertain him for so long. He didn't remember ever coming across that particular author. "Never heard of the guy."

"Sucks for you." Essyu was smirking again. "You're missing out. It's about a station up in Antarctica who discover what they believe is an alien space ship, and a group of Marines get sent out to investigate. The only problem is other countries get wind of the ship and send their own teams, and it's pretty much world war three up in the snow."

"Wow," Naruto said, both because it sounded good and because he'd never heard so many words leave Essyu's mouth before. "That actually sounds pretty interesting. Audiobook?"

"It exists, but I don't have it." Essyu was definitely smirking again. "If you're a good little boy, I'll read aloud to you."

Naruto snorted so hard his ribs hurt. "Wow, okay, thanks mommy, how nice of you. Read me a bedtime story please."

He heard Essyu snort back, and Naruto grinned. For a kidnapper, Essyu was kind of all right. He didn't mind him so much. Ayuu, on the other hand, he could happily do without.

Tilting his head when he heard the book shut, and the chair creak, he figured Essyu had just stood, and frowned.

"Are you hungry? Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"Yeah on both accounts," Naruto admitted, his jaw cracking in a yawn.

"Bathroom first, then."

The blond heard a thump, presumably the book being tossed onto the chair, and then keys jingling again. He held his wrists out, and Essyu undid them, then worked on Naruto's ankles. Once he was free, the blond again heard the click of a switchblade before the other's hand closed around his wrist and tugged lightly. They shuffled across the room again, Essyu putting the blond's hand on the edge of the toilet just like the day before.

"I'll wait outside," he informed him.

"Right."

The door shut, and he heard footsteps heading across the basement, presumably back to the book. Confident he was alone, he wasted no time pulling down his pants and sitting on the toilet again, clenching his fists angrily and scowling. He hated this. He fucking _hated_the son of a bitch who'd done this to him! Sure, he wasn't all that happy with Essyu and Ayuu, either, but the fucker who'd traumatized him as a child... fuck!

He wished his kidnappers would wear masks. He didn't like not being able to see. This would've been easier if he could fucking see! Not to mention he couldn't rub the sleep from his eyes, and that was going to get uncomfortable after a while.

Finishing up as quickly as he could, he pulled his pants back up and flushed the toilet, fumbling for the taps and washing his hands. Wiping them on his pants again, he pulled open the bathroom door, and stood there, waiting.

Essyu's hands were on his chest, pushing him back lightly. Naruto tensed, mostly because his mind was flashing back to the previous night, but he took a step back anyway. The other walked into the bathroom with him and put one of his hands back on the tap.

"I got you a toothbrush and some toothpaste. It's all set to go, you can go ahead and brush."

The blond felt the end of a toothbrush being pressed into his free hand. He nodded a thanks, hesitated, then brought it to his mouth and began to brush his teeth. He knew Essyu was still there, watching him, but he didn't care. His morning breath could knock out a horse. Probably why they'd decided to get him something to brush his teeth with. He could knock them out by breathing on them and escape.

He snorted to himself at the thought, spitting foam out of his mouth and turning on the tap, rinsing and cleaning off the sides of his mouth and his chin before running the toothbrush under the tap and turning it off. He set it down beside the sink, figuring he'd be using it again tomorrow morning since he probably wasn't going home today, and turned to the door.

Essyu's hand closed around his wrist once more, tugging slightly and leading him back towards the bed. Naruto followed obediently, going more slowly this time so he didn't trip on the futon. He climbed onto it when they reached it and sat down, getting comfortable, and holding his hands out again.

The kidnapper cuffed his wrists, then his ankles, and stood, the sound of the knife closing meeting Naruto's ears. Considering Essyu had used both hands to cuff him, he'd either had it between his teeth, or he hadn't even bothered holding it. Naruto could understand. Considering he hadn't caused any problems, why worry, right?

"Let me know when you want to shower. Prisoner or not, Ayuu and I don't want you to have poor personal hygiene."

Naruto's chest constricted slightly at the thought of being naked in front of them. "Right," he whispered.

"We'll probably take your mask off for that."

Well, at least there was an upside. Still, the blond doubted they'd provide him with enough towels to shower the way he usually did.

"We've also bought you some new boxers. I insisted on some sweats and a few shirts, since I'm sure sleeping in your uniform isn't all that comfortable."

"Thanks," Naruto said honestly. "I really appreciate that. Sweats would be great."

"I'll bring them down later, you can put them on after your shower."

The blond winced again and his stomach growled. He rubbed at it, remembering what Ayuu had done the night before, however unwillingly the thoughts came.

"I should get you food." Essyu headed for the stairs, but paused halfway up, like he so often did. "Do you like waffles?"

"I love waffles," Naruto said with a laugh, grinning slightly.

"Ayuu made some." Essyu paused, as if thinking of something to say, but then he just started climbing the stairs again. "I'll see if there are any left."

The door closed behind him at the landing.

* * *

**September 15th, 19:09**

Snorting loudly, Sasuke couldn't help but smile slightly, shaking his head and playing with the noodles left over in his chicken noodle soup. "Your friend sounds like a moron."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed with a laugh. "Kiba's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box or anything, but he's my best friend, and I love the guy. Though he thinks every problem can be solved with sex which, really, isn't true."

Sasuke could imagine the blond rolling his eyes behind his mask, and the raven smirked when the other brought his fork towards his mouth with nothing on it. He watched Naruto put it between his lips before he growled.

"You _could _tell me when that happens, you know," Naruto grumped, annoyed. "Save me the embarrassment."

"But then I would have nothing to laugh at," Sasuke shot back, smirking and taking another bite of his own food.

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto started digging his fork into the bottom of the bowl before each bite to make sure he'd actually have something on it before bringing it to his mouth. Sasuke just smirked, watching him, leaning back in his usual chair.

To be honest, Sasuke had had a good day so far with Naruto. After having brought down some waffles for him to eat, the raven had started reading him _Ice Station_, which was a lot more talking than Sasuke was used to, but it was fun reading it aloud, and Naruto had really been getting into it.

After a while, though, the raven's throat was starting to hurt, so they began talking about other things instead around lunch time. Mostly, it was Sasuke asking Naruto questions, and the blond answering them, but it had still been fun, and despite Naruto not seeming to enjoy talking about himself, they'd had interesting debates about things. And Sasuke got to learn more about the billionaire's son.

Truthfully, he wished he could've had a _real _conversation with him, complete with actual back and forth questions, but he knew that would never happen. Once this was all over, it would be over for good. Sasuke knew that, he wasn't stupid enough to think he could remain friends with someone he'd kidnapped.

"Can I ask you another question? This one more personal?" Sasuke asked slowly, as if still unsure he truly wanted to ask it.

Naruto shrugged, tipping his bowl back and drinking down the broth before licking his lips and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. "I guess so. Shoot."

"Why do you always look so sad in pictures with your father?"

A long silence followed that question, Naruto shifting uncomfortably and Sasuke thought maybe he shouldn't have asked it. Then, with a sigh, Naruto raked a hand through his hair and answered.

"I know for a fact you and your partner kidnapped me for money, but I can tell you straight up that it's not going to make you any happier." He snorted. "Money, if anything, just depresses you more than before, except now you can afford to pay for a psychiatrist." Naruto put his bowl down on the futon beside his leg, and leaned back against the wall. "My dad spends all his time working and raking in money, so ever since I was a kid, I always got whatever I wanted. I wanted a boat, done. I wanted a new car, done. I wanted a fucking ranch with a hundred ponies, done. Guy could buy me the country if he felt like it." Naruto scoffed. "You'd think I'd like that. Having everything I wanted but... I didn't. All the money in the world would never buy me what I _truly_ wanted. And all I want, all I've ever wanted and _will_ever want—is to have a dad."

Naruto laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I know it sounds stupid, and you probably think I'm nuts but... When your parents were alive, I bet your dad was around on your birthdays." The blond's voice had lowered, and Sasuke could tell he was reflecting back on all the disappointments of his life. "I'm sure he showed up to your basketball games, and your award nights, and you recitals... my dad didn't. He just worked. And every time he missed a big event, he'd just go out and buy me something expensive, as if he thought it would make up for his absence. It didn't, it just made me feel worse, because it was like... he cared more about his money than he did about me, and he just bought me stuff to make me stop whining about the fact that he missed seeing me get a trophy for MVP in basketball when I was thirteen, fourteen _and _fifteen. That he missed my fourteenth birthday because he had to close a multi-million dollar deal, and had forgotten what day it was."

The blond was playing with the edge of his blanket, by now, face still aimed forward, though Sasuke suspected he was looking down. Probably mostly out of habit. "My dad tries to buy me off. He thinks the more money he spends on me, the happier I'll be, and the less I'll complain. Truthfully, the only thing that would make me happy would be him spending five minutes of his day with me without talking about work or looking at his stupid Blackberry. He even fucking works at the breakfast table, and I'm lucky if he even shows up on time for dinner." He let out a derisive snort. "I doubt he's even noticed I'm gone."

"That's not true," Sasuke insisted, unsure as to why he felt the need to reassure Naruto, but knowing he couldn't listen to him anymore. Not because he didn't care, but because it was actually almost upsetting him to hear about how his father treated him. Like he was a nuisance.

Knowing he shouldn't mention this, mostly because Itachi would get pissed, he decided it wasn't a big deal and let out a small breath. "Ayuu said your dad was freaking out when he called him yesterday. I think he cares a great deal for you, he just had to risk losing you to realize how absent he's been in your life."

"Yeah, well... Guess what I said to Kiba came true then," the blond muttered.

Sasuke didn't know what that meant, but he didn't push for more information. He doubted Naruto would elaborate, anyway.

"I'd probably have more fun spending my birthday here, quite frankly. At least I know you and Ayuu will be around for it, even if it's just to make sure I don't escape. If I went home, dad probably wouldn't show anyway."

"When is it?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"What?"

"Your birthday." The raven resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They'd _just _been talking about birthdays, what the hell did Naruto think?

"October tenth."

Sasuke pressed his lips together briefly before shaking the feeling off. They were probably still going to have Naruto by then, and a part of him had started to feel bad before reminding himself it didn't matter. Who cared where Naruto spent his birthday? Who wanted to celebrate another year closer to death, anyway?

But the Uchiha knew that was just him trying to justify everything. Trying to make himself not feel like a dick for having kidnapped Naruto and finding out he was going to still be here when his birthday rolled around. That really sucked.

"Sorry." The word left his mouth before he'd fully decided to say it, and he cursed internally because it meant he'd be confirming Naruto would still be there a month from now, at the very least.

"For what?" Naruto asked, cocking his head.

"Nothing," Sasuke grunted, crossing his arms and looking away.

There was a short silence, and then, "Oh. I'm still gonna be here, huh?"

Sasuke said nothing, and Naruto shrugged.

"That's okay. Like I said, I'd honestly probably have a better time here."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Sasuke insisted.

"Why not?" Naruto shrugged. "Like I said, other than being a little bored—though today was awesome—I can't really complain. Sure, I'd love to be able to see, but realistically, what more would I get at home during my birthday? I already implied I hated presents, and I don't exactly care for store-bought cakes, which is what I'd be getting, so really, only difference is I'd be sitting at a bigger table than I would be here." He snorted. "Seriously, I've got no complaints."

Snorting, Sasuke shook his head, finding Naruto to be a really peculiar person. His thoughts were cut off, though, by the front door slamming loudly upstairs. He glanced towards the stairs, then looked back at Naruto. The two of them stayed silent for a few seconds before the basement door creaked open, Itachi having moved across the floor soundlessly.

"Essyu," he called down the stairs.

Sasuke took that to be a summons and got to his feet. He leaned forward to grab Naruto's bowl, holding his own in his other hand. Eying Naruto for a few seconds, he figured he'd probably spend the rest of the evening upstairs, now, or else Itachi would tell him he was getting attached again.

"I'll come back down around ten for another bathroom break. It's around seven-thirty right now."

"Okay," Naruto replied. "See you later."

The raven nodded slightly, remembering too late Naruto couldn't see him, and just turned to head towards the stairs, trying not to dwell on how interesting and entertaining his day had been.

* * *

**September 15th, 19:41**

Itachi was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal, when Sasuke finally emerged from the basement. His dark eyes followed his brother wordlessly, the older Uchiha noticing a few changes in Sasuke.

The youngest of the two walked to the sink with the bowls and placed them inside it before returning to the table and falling into the empty seat across from Itachi, pulling his cigarettes to himself and smacking the bottom of the pack to pop one out. He put it between his lips before lighting it, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes before exhaling, leaning back in his seat.

Itachi eyed him, his brother sucking on the cancer stick as if he hadn't smoked all day. He didn't know why that may have been the case, but he was certain the little shit downstairs was involved.

"Cutting back?"

Sasuke's eyes opened slowly, and Itachi held his gaze until the other looked away, exhaling and leaning forward slightly.

"Naruto doesn't like the smell."

Itachi scowled ever so slightly, the action so minute that were Sasuke not his brother, the other probably wouldn't have noticed. But it was apparent he had, because his hand paused above the ashtray after having flicked the end of his cigarette.

"He's not a guest we're required to accommodate," Itachi reminded him.

"I know," Sasuke replied, scowling. "He's just been obedient since he got here, and he's not causing us any problems, not to mention he hasn't even pretended to consider escaping." the raven narrowed his eyes at him. "You just _want _to hate him. He hasn't done anything, but all you see when you look at him is his father. You don't actually care about what he says or does, you're going to dislike him regardless because of who his father is."

Itachi stared back at his brother emotionlessly. Sasuke was getting attached, and it had only been two days. He'd expected better of his brother. He'd expected him to remember all the hardships they'd had to endure because of Minato Namikaze. Instead of letting the anger fester, he was just acting as if nothing had happened. As if he'd forgotten he'd been forced to drop out of school because of Minato.

Well Itachi hadn't forgotten, and he wasn't going to let Sasuke forget, either.

"You should sleep, little brother," Itachi said smoothly, Sasuke putting his cigarette out in the ashtray on the table. "You haven't slept since he arrived."

"Trust me, I know," Sasuke muttered, getting to his feet and heading out of the kitchen.

Itachi waited until he heard the other's door close. He knew Sasuke wasn't going to sleep, not when he would have to go down one more time to ensure Naruto went to the bathroom before bed, but the older Uchiha just walked to his brother's door and knocked.

"He gets one more break before bed," he said through the wood.

"Yeah, I was going to go back down around ten," Sasuke replied, voice muffled, as if he were changing.

"I'll do it. Sleep."

"It's fine, I can—"

"Sleep," Itachi ordered, his tone commanding and leaving no room for argument.

"Fine," Sasuke mumbled after a few seconds of silence.

Itachi stood outside his brother's door until he saw the light turn off, then headed back for the kitchen. He picked up his cereal bowl and finished it off slowly, chewing thoughtfully while looking out the front window at the lawn. Once he was done, he placed the bowl into the sink, turning on the water to splash a bit of it into the bottom of it, and then turned it back off.

Striding across the kitchen, Itachi pulled open the basement door quietly, stepped down onto the first step, and shut it behind himself, stopping to listen to make sure Sasuke hadn't heard him, though he was positive his brother had passed out by now. He wasn't a heavy sleeper, but considering he hadn't slept for over twenty-four hours, Itachi was confident he wouldn't wake up easily for the next little while. A few seconds passed in silence, and he began descending the stairs towards the bottom.

When he could see Naruto, the blond's head was tilted to the side, as if he were listening to make sure he could actually hear someone coming down the stairs. When Itachi reached the landing, the blond grinned in his direction.

"Miss me already? I can imagine how horrible it must be not to have me around. Might as well make up camp down here," the blond teased.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, unhappy that Naruto thought it was appropriate to speak to his kidnappers like that. Of course, he knew the blond thought he was Sasuke, but regardless of who he was, Naruto shouldn't have been so aloof. So... calm. It pissed Itachi off. He wanted him scared. He wanted him to suffer. His suffering would cause his father to suffer. And he so desperately needed his father to suffer.

Moving to the blond's side, Itachi reached back and pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans. He'd started carrying it around all the time after Naruto's kidnapping, just in case. Walking over to the futon, he knelt down in front of Naruto, and the blond barely had time to let the grin fall from his face before Itachi slammed him back against the wall.

He pressed one hand harshly against the blond's neck, and held the gun to Naruto's temple with the other, pushing the barrel against his skin as hard as he could.

Naruto's hands shot up to Itachi's wrist, tugging while he struggled to inhale, his left foot coming up to try and kick Itachi off him, but the shackles stopped him from getting enough power to kick, and Naruto couldn't shift his other leg out from under him with the way Itachi held him.

The Uchiha pushed harder against the other's neck, leaning forward until he was practically lying between Naruto's legs, his lips moving against the blond's ear, gun still pressed to his temple. "Are you scared?"

The blond let out a choked sound, but Itachi tightened his grip when it came out sounding defiant. "Don't test me, Namikaze. This isn't a vacation. You're not here on holidays. I may not be able to kill you, your father won't pay for a dead son, but I doubt very much you need your knees."

As if to emphasize his point, Itachi shifted his gun down to press against the blond's left knee. Naruto froze, remaining absolutely still. Even his breathing seemed to have stopped—what little of it he'd been doing, due to Itachi's hand.

"Essyu is not your friend," he reminded the blond. "He is my partner, and we don't care about you. Once we get what we want, he'll forget all about you. You're only here so that your father suffers. Stop acting like you're on a school trip with your best friend, or _I'll _be the one coming down here from now on."

Itachi pulled back the hammer on the gun and Naruto struggled, trying to jerk his knee away but the Uchiha just pushed down harder, a smirk teasing the corners of his lips.

"Are you scared, Namikaze? How scared?"

Itachi fired the gun a few inches to the side of Naruto's knee, burning a hole into the futon, and the blond jumped, a strangled sound escaping his lips.

"Show me your fear," Itachi said, smirking.

He was going to make sure Naruto remembered who was in charge.

He was going to make sure the boy remained absolutely terrified.

* * *

**September 16th, 12:32**

Sasuke's head jerked up off his pillow when the front door slammed loudly, the raven turning to glare at his bedroom door before letting his head fall back down with a grunt. He shifted uncomfortably on the futon he was sleeping on, trying to ignore how lumpy it felt. He was annoyed at his brother for waking him up on purpose—Itachi only ever slammed doors or made any noise, really, when he wanted Sasuke to wake up—considering it wasn't like he had anywhere to be.

Grunting again and rolling onto his back, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and squinted at his watch, his eyes still attempting to focus. He saw that it was past noon, and rubbed his face with both hands.

He hadn't expected it to be so late. He must've been more tired than he'd assumed. Stretching loudly, the raven sat up, throwing his covers off himself, and got to his feet, heading for the bathroom. The front door slammed again, meaning whatever Itachi had gone outside to do, it had been short. Or maybe he'd just wanted an excuse to slam the door twice.

Moving into his bathroom, Sasuke relieved himself, then brushed his teeth and his hair before heading back into his room to pull on some jeans and a shirt. Once he felt alive enough to encounter another human being, he stepped out of his room and walked into the kitchen, finding Itachi sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal.

Sasuke stared at his brother for a few seconds, finding he was eating a fuckload of cereal lately, but just shrugged it off and started pulling oatmeal out of the cupboards, grabbing a pot to boil water in since they didn't have a kettle.

"Did you feed Naruto?" Sasuke inquired.

He and Itachi had never really been into small talk, so it wasn't unusual for them to be in the kitchen together and not even bother to greet one another.

The younger Uchiha headed for the table and picked up his cigarettes, scowling when he found only one left. For someone who hated menthol, Itachi stole them a lot. He just shrugged it off, figuring he could buy more later, and popped the last one between his lips, lighting it and inhaling, staring at his brother, waiting for an answer.

"Well?" he asked.

"No."

Sasuke frowned at the amused glint he saw in his brother's eyes. His brother wasn't one to get amused very easily. Actually, he could only recall one time Itachi had looked so pleased, and that had been when they'd successfully kidnapped Naruto.

Eying the other for a few seconds, Sasuke turned away from the stove, knowing the water would take a while to boil—and he had to ask what kind of oatmeal the blond would prefer, anyway—he headed for the basement door, pulling it open while putting out his cigarette on the jamb, and looking over at Itachi.

His brother merely watched him, the corners of his lips turning up ever so slightly. Frowning, the younger teen headed down the stairs, shutting the basement door behind him. He reached the bottom and turned to look at Naruto.

He was still lying down, the covers up over his head as if he were trying to make himself invisible, but the hanging chains lifted the edges of the blanket and made it impossible for him to hide entirely. Well, at least not from the other direction.

"Are you awake?" Sasuke asked, moving closer to the futon and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm making oatmeal, what kind do you like?"

Naruto said nothing. Sasuke frowned, nudging the other's back with his toe.

"I'm not hungry," the blond said, his voice even. He almost sounded like he was pissed off.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"No."

Frowning, Sasuke opened his mouth to say something when his eyes caught sight of a hole in the blanket. Frowning, he crouched down, leaning forward and inspecting it. It looked burned around the edges and his eyes widened before he wrenched the blanket off Naruto.

"What the hell?!"

Sasuke ignored him, eyes travelling over the blond's form—he still hadn't changed out of his school uniform, Sasuke had forgotten about that the day before—until they rested on his neck.

"Sit up," the Uchiha ordered.

"Why?" Naruto snapped.

"Sit up!" He grabbed the other's arm and wrenched him into a sitting position, Naruto following through with the action but pulling his arm free angrily.

Sasuke ignored him and just leaned closer, eyes locked on the bruising he could see around the other's neck. He'd gotten choked by Itachi enough times to recognize the signs, and he could see faint bruising near Naruto's temple. He'd been so exhausted the night before that he'd passed out the second his head had hit the pillow, and whatever had transpired in the basement had gone unnoticed.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Ask Ayuu," Naruto muttered. "I wouldn't want him to come down here and see us _talking_."

Sasuke scowled at that and tossed Naruto his blanket back, turning to storm back up the stairs. He kicked open the door, then slammed it shut behind himself, though it bounced back slightly so it wasn't shut entirely, and then he rounded on Itachi, who was reading the newspaper, bowl of cereal pushed a little ways away from him.

"What did you do?"

Itachi looked up at him, his expression shifting to one Sasuke would've expected to see if he were looking at shit on the bottom of his shoe. The younger teen tossed his half spent cigarette onto the table and leaned forward.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

Obviously, his brother didn't appreciate his tone, because Sasuke blinked, and he was suddenly shoved back against the fridge, his brother's hand closed around his throat. Sasuke didn't fight him. He didn't react in any way. He'd learned a long time ago that doing anything would only make Itachi angrier, so he just stood there, glaring hatefully at his brother, while Itachi tightened his grip on his throat.

"You're getting too attached, _Essyu_," his brother said expressionlessly. "He isn't your friend, he's our hostage. When he's gone, everything you have with him will cease to exist. I don't understand why you're bothering to make nice with him. Do you honestly believe that once this is over you two will be able to remain friends?"

Sasuke's fists clenched of their own accord, his teeth gritting angrily at Itachi's condescending tone. He knew perfectly well that once this was all over he and Naruto would never see one another again, but that didn't change the fact that, currently, he _liked _talking to Naruto. He'd enjoyed their time together thus far, and considering how good of a hostage he'd been, Sasuke felt he deserved at least a little entertainment and human company.

Was it so wrong of him to feel that the two of them, under different circumstances, might have been friends?

"_What_ did you _do_?" Sasuke repeated through grit teeth.

Itachi continued to stare at him, then pulled away, turning around and heading back to the table, picking up Sasuke's half-spent cigarette and relighting it, inhaling deeply.

"I know once this is over I'll never see him again," the youngest bit out angrily. "I know that. But for the moment, I was enjoying my conversations with him, and you just ruined that." _Just like you ruin everything, _he added silently. His brother had a knack for making Sasuke's life miserable.

"By all means," Itachi said, motioning the partially closed door with his hand, cigarette between two of his fingers, "talk to him. Just don't be his friend."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched and he moved forward to snatch his cigarette from Itachi's fingers, inhaling on it and exhaling in his brother's face. "Get your own," he snapped, turning to head to the stove.

"You're not going to cause me problems, today, little brother." It was a warning, not a question.

"Why's that?" he asked, turning back to Itachi.

"We're making the second video today. I want it at the school when Minato drops off the money."

Sasuke felt that was risky. Even moreso than sticking the DVD in the Namikaze's mailbox, which he still hadn't asked Itachi about. Had his brother actually been stupid enough to go all the way up to the front door to drop it off? But, if Itachi wanted to get them caught, that was his prerogative. Sasuke hadn't even wanted to do this, anyway.

"What's the second video going to be?"

"Something you'll enjoy," Itachi replied, a smirk in his tone though none was present on his face. "Naruto better not be camera-shy, because I'm going to make him jerk off to completion, and I won't let you stop rolling until he does."

* * *

**September 16th, 13:04**

Naruto sat absolutely still the entire time Ayuu and Essyu spoke upstairs. Though it had been hard to make out what they were saying for a while, he was getting better at listening to them, not to mention the open door had helped before one of them had slammed it shut. But he knew what was in store for him by the time Ayuu finished telling Essyu about the new video.

The blond stared unseeingly into the inside of his blindfold, feeling his heartrate slowly picking up speed. His mind was reeling, sending him back to his room when he was six years old, to the man who was standing over him with a pair of scissors, telling him to beat off or he'd lose his manhood.

Considering what kind of person Ayuu was, Naruto easily compared him to the man from his past. He could just see the kidnapper standing over him, gun in hand aimed at his cock, telling him to beat off or he'd lose his favourite appendage.

Curling his legs in instinctively, Naruto struggled to keep his breathing even. He couldn't even take a shower naked, and they expected him to be able to jerk off in front of them? On camera, even? For his _dad_?! That was all kinds of fucked up.

_I have to get out of here._

It was the first time those words had entered his mind since his arrival. He'd been pretty all right being there, for the most part. Minus Ayuu's visit the night before, this entire ordeal was rather pleasant, considering. But now... No. Now, he had to get out. He couldn't do what they were asking him to do, and he knew it. Just the thought was making him begin to panic.

His head jerked up suddenly when he heard footsteps descending the stairs. He didn't know how long it had been since hearing those words leave Ayuu's mouth, but he could tell more time than he'd expected had passed, because he suddenly urgently needed to use the restroom.

"It's me," he heard Essyu say.

"I need to take a leak," the blond muttered, shifting uncomfortably at having to admit that. After his evening with Ayuu, he felt that things between himself and the nicer kidnapper were going to change.

"Sure."

The two of them performed the act with practised ease, by now. Essyu had always been the one to bring him to the bathroom for the past two days, so it was relatively straight forward, now. Naruto extended his arms, his shackles were all removed, he was led to the bathroom, he did his business, he washed his hands and brushed his teeth—the latter with Essyu's help since he couldn't get the toothpaste on the toothbrush by himself—then he was led back to the bed and cuffed again.

"I was gonna make oatmeal, but we were out of the kind I like, and I figured since I'd have to feed you anyway I'd make something a little heavier."

The blond felt a bowl being pressed into his hands, and he nodded a thanks, looking down as if he could see into it. He couldn't, of course, but he lowered his gaze anyway. It was amazing the habits people had that they couldn't break, despite restrictions like this. He wondered if this would be similar to going blind. Someone who used to move their eyes would surely still move them out of habit, wouldn't they?

"Do you like fried rice?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Good. Do you want some soya sauce?"

"Sure," he whispered again.

He waited a few seconds, figuring Essyu was pouring some into his bowl based on the noise, and then felt a fork placed in his other hand.

He nodded in thanks, then began to eat. It was good, but he didn't feel so much like saying so to Essyu. It made him feel bad, the other was a decent guy, but he really liked his knees and the ability to walk. Not to mention he wasn't sure Ayuu would patch the wound up afterwards, so Naruto could just end up losing his leg or something. That would really suck.

"I'm sorry about Ayuu," Essyu said after a long, uncomfortable silence. "I'm sure you've noticed he makes the rules."

Naruto shrugged. "It's not your fault. I guess we'll just not talk anymore."

"Right."

They continued to eat in silence, and it wasn't until Naruto practically bit into the utensil he was using that he realized what it was. A fork. He was holding a fork. Thinking about it, he was pretty confident he could probably undo his cuffs with the spokes on the end. And if he and Essyu didn't talk anymore, that meant he'd have time to work on freeing himself because Essyu would be upstairs!

_Okay,_ he said to himself, trying not to get too excited. He didn't even know if his plan was possible, let alone if it would even work. _Calm down. First things first, figure out how to __**keep**__ the fork._

He thought about it for a few seconds, and then got an idea. Licking his lips, and hoping this wouldn't be too obvious—and hoping Essyu had a bad memory—he called out, "are you still there?"

"Yes."

"Um, could I get a spoon, please? It's kind of hard to eat this with a fork and no eyesight."

"Sure."

He heard the chair creak and something getting set down, figuring it was Essyu's own bowl of food. When the footsteps disappeared up the stairs, Naruto felt his heart slamming against his ribs. For all he knew Ayuu was standing off in the corner, or Essyu had paused on the stairs like he so often did. This could be a huge mistake.

But he didn't have any other choice. So he quickly pushed the fork beneath his pillow, and prayed to God Essyu just forgot about it. If he spoke to him, if he broke Ayuu's rule and made friendly, maybe he could distract him enough that he wouldn't remember.

The footsteps were back, descending the stairs, and Naruto's heart felt like a jackhammer against his ribs. He felt the utensil get pushed into his hand and then Essyu went to sit back down, bowl scraping against the wood when it was picked up.

"Thanks."

"Hn."

Naruto played with his rice for a few seconds, trying to think of something to talk about. "So... you still gonna read to me?"

"Maybe," Essyu replied after a short pause, probably because he was chewing. "Did you want me to?"

"Yeah." Naruto forced himself to take a bite of his food. "You got me hooked on that book, man. I need to know what happens with Scarecrow."

"Maybe tomorrow. Ayuu's going to be home today. It would be in both our best interests for me to stay upstairs until dinnertime."

"Right." Naruto nodded vigorously, since that was exactly what he wanted, then forced himself to calm down. "Right, yeah. Of course. I understand."

That was all he had. Years of being told he talked too much, and that was literally all he had for the guy. But so far, no mention of the fork. For the moment, he was all right.

They continued on in silence, Naruto finishing first. He just listened to Essyu chew, and finally, his fork clinked against the side of the bowl. The blond pressed his lips together, waiting.

"Did you need anything to drink? Do you need to use the bathroom again?"

"No, I'm good, thanks," he replied, feeling his heart beating faster again.

"Okay." A slightly awkward silence followed. "I need to go pick up a few things, so I'll be gone for a while."

"You're leaving me alone with the psycho?!" Naruto blurted out before he could stop himself. He grit his teeth together, wishing he had better control of his own mouth.

Essyu snorted. "Don't worry, he won't come back down here. He'll avoid you as much as possible, so just try not to make any noise and he might forget you're even here."

Naruto didn't find that very comforting, but he didn't say anything. He just released the bowl in his hands when Essyu tugged on it slightly, and then listened to the other head for the stairs. He kept waiting for him to stop and ask where the fork was, but he didn't. He climbed all the way to the top, and the door shut behind him.

The blond waited, listening hard, but the basement was silent. He waited longer, not ready to let himself be tricked, but he could hear two sets of footsteps above him, and distant voices talking. Then the front door slammed. He was alone.

For now, at least.

Pulling the fork out from under the pillow, and trying not to feel like a pathetic MacGiver, Naruto struggled to find the locks on the cuffs on his ankles. It was hard to do blind, and more than once, the fork slipped and stabbed him in the ankle or the hand. This wasn't working at all, he needed to be able to see.

His mask was made of plaster, so realistically, he should be able to chip away at it, right? He didn't need to get it all off, just enough so that when he looked down, he could see what he was doing. So, he pushed the tips of the fork under the plaster beneath his left eye and pushed back on the handle. A small chunk broke off from the bottom, small flecks separating from the mask and flying up into his eye. He clenched it shut, wincing and wishing he could rub at it.

Deciding it would be safest to keep his eyes closed, he repeated the process, continuing on, slowly chipping away at the bottom of the mask. His progress was slow, and he was sure he'd cut himself a few times with the way his cheek was stinging, but he didn't care. He was getting closer to freedom.

After five agonizing minutes, he'd gotten enough chipped off from the bottom that he could see well enough with his left eye, and just barely with his right. And fuck was it ever bright, he'd forgotten what it was like to be able to see. Three days with a light-proof mask on, he was sure the light wasn't going to dim for him anytime soon.

Ignoring how bright it was, the blond didn't waste any time shifting the fork down to the shackles on his ankles, pushing the spokes into the lock and wiggling them around, tongue between his teeth, and ears open for any sounds coming from upstairs.

He didn't know long he had to get himself freed, he just hoped he managed it before Ayuu came down to check on him.

* * *

**September 16th, 17:32**

Itachi inspected the video camera while he sat at the kitchen table, trying his best to ignore how much time Sasuke was putting into making Naruto's dinner. If Itachi had been making his dinner, it would've been something easy, like cereal or ramen, morning, noon and night. The kid didn't deserve any special treatment, yet there his brother was, making him fucking spaghetti with meat sauce.

In a way, the older Uchiha felt that Sasuke's cooking could be advantageous for him. He could always threaten to starve Naruto if he didn't do as he was told. Having the food downstairs, within smelling distance, but not given to him would definitely be a good incentive for the blond to jerk off like he was ordered to do.

Glancing over at his brother before picking up his half-spent cigarette and taking a drag, he eyed the younger teen with interest, noting he seemed quieter than he had been. If Itachi didn't know any better, he'd almost think his brother was brooding.

And for what? A blond, spoiled rich kid who wouldn't have given him the time of day were he not kidnapped by him? Itachi didn't understand his brother sometimes. Sasuke could be so illogical.

"Ready?" He was getting impatient.

"Almost." Sasuke was scooping the spaghetti noodles out onto a plate, and he added the meat sauce a few seconds later. Grabbing a fork from the utensils drawer, he turned to Itachi, informing him he was ready without saying a word.

The older Uchiha pulled on his mask, standing up and putting his cigarette out while arranging the item more comfortably on his face. He then picked up the camera, and headed for the stairs. Sasuke had already been told he was going to be recording again, so he didn't need a mask.

Itachi opened the basement door, Sasuke right behind him, and took two steps down before what his eyes were seeing registered in his head. Naruto was staring up at him from the bottom of the stairs, one bright blue eye clearly visible, widening in horror. If Itachi could see his eye, then that meant—

Itachi threw himself backwards, tackling Sasuke to the ground. His brother let out a shout, the plate of spaghetti flying from his hand and shattering loudly against the linoleum floor a few feet from them.

Had he seen? Had Naruto seen Sasuke's face?!

"Shit," he hissed angrily, wrenching himself off his brother and turning around to fly back down the stairs. Naruto had run back into the depths of the basement, though Itachi assumed he knew there was no way out from down there. If he'd been going for the stairs, he'd obviously double-checked it was the only way out.

Itachi reached Naruto quickly, the blond turning and putting his fists up, as if he honestly thought he could fight his way out of this. Itachi punched him across the face, and when Naruto staggered, he grabbed a fistful of blond hair and slammed him face-first into the wall.

Naruto fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes when Itachi released him, groaning and clutching at his head, clearly disoriented. Itachi could see the remains of the mask had cracked from the force of the blow.

"What the hell's going on?" Sasuke demanded angrily from the top of the stairs.

"Get a mask on," Itachi replied, eyes narrowed down at the dazed blond. "He got his blindfold off."

Sasuke was silent for a few seconds, and then Itachi heard footsteps above him before the stairs creaked once more. He didn't have to turn to know his brother had obeyed him. He just bent down and grabbed Naruto's arm, wrenching the still-disoriented teen to his feet. Itachi could see blood trailing down the side of his face beneath the mask, so he'd definitely hurt him. Hopefully he wouldn't have any brain damage or internal bleeding.

"How did he get free?" Sasuke asked, having moved up beside Itachi. The two of them towered over the hunched-over blond, who was still groaning and clutching his head with one hand.

Itachi wanted to know the answer to that, too. But first, he had a more important question to ask. One that was much, much more important.

"Did you see?" He shook Naruto's arm slightly, jostling him to make him pay attention.

Naruto seemed to get his bearings after that shake, because he tried to rush forward and break between the two brothers, but Itachi just slammed him back against the wall and pushed his forearm against the blond's neck. Then he reached back, pulled his gun out, pulled back the hammer, and pushed it into Naruto's mouth.

"Did. You. See?"

If he'd seen, their entire plan would be ruined. All this work for nothing. He'd have to kill him right here and now. But if he hadn't... Itachi was certain Naruto wouldn't have been able to see Sasuke behind him. Though he'd been a step lower than his brother, the blond hadn't gotten much of the bottom of the mask off, so chances were he hadn't really seen anything. He'd probably barely seen Itachi's own masked face.

But he needed to be sure. He pushed the gun further into Naruto's mouth, the blond choking and shaking his head.

"He can't answer if you choke him," Sasuke snapped, his fear disguised by anger.

Pulling the gun from Naruto's mouth, the blond coughed and shook his head. "No. I didn't see. I could barely see anything, I didn't get enough of the mask off."

Itachi turned to his brother, wanting him to decide. It was Sasuke's face, after all. If he believed Naruto, they were all right. If he didn't, this was all a waste. Months of planning, and it would've all been for _nothing_.

"He's telling the truth," Sasuke said confidently.

Itachi pulled his arm away from the blond's neck, Naruto coughing roughly, but he didn't give him time to catch his breath. He just grabbed the front of his shirt and shoved him violently towards the bed, the blond tripping and almost slamming head-first into the wall again, but he managed to catch himself at the last second.

They were going to have to make Naruto another mask, but that would have to wait. For the moment, the ski-masks would do, Itachi didn't want to waste time on the little shit right now. He was liable to kill him.

Reaching into his pocket, Itachi pulled out a set of keys and pressed the gun against the back of Naruto's knee, reaching up with his other hand to unlock the small padlock at the back of the plaster-mask.

"You want to see so badly, Namikaze?" Itachi hissed in his ear, wrenching it off him. "Watch what happens next."

He tossed the mask across the floor, and it skid along the ground, Sasuke moving his foot to stop it. His brother hadn't said anything about the rough treatment on Naruto, and he was glad he'd finally understood that the blond wasn't his friend.

"Watch very closely," Itachi hissed.

* * *

**September 16th, 17:54**

Sasuke watched Itachi shove Naruto around, feeling numb. He didn't really know how he should feel about what had happened. A part of him was pissed off, because he'd honestly believed Naruto had been a good little captive, but he should've known better. Another part of him felt a little betrayed, as if he'd honestly expected the blond to behave because Sasuke had been nice to him.

Yeah right. He felt like an idiot for even believing it.

He was fairly certain he knew what was coming next, but he couldn't bring himself to pity the blond. He'd brought this on himself. If he'd just behaved, this wouldn't be happening. Sasuke wouldn't let Itachi blow out Naruto's knee, that was a bit much, but if he was thinking what Sasuke thought he was thinking, then Naruto deserved it.

"How did you do it?"

Sasuke moved closer when his brother asked the question. He wanted to see the fear in Naruto's eyes, but when he came level with the blond's face, pressed mercilessly against the wall, he just looked pissed. Pissed at not having gotten away. There was no fear in those blue eyes.

Not yet.

They shifted to look up at Sasuke, and the Uchiha had to wonder if he truly was telling the truth about not having seen him. He felt that even if he had, he was going to be there for a while, so he was sure the image would've faded by the time they let him go. Still, it was unnerving to know his life may potentially be in this rich asshole's hands.

"I used the fork," Naruto replied, his eyes still locked on Sasuke's. The raven forced himself to look away. He didn't like the way Naruto was looking at him. As if the blond expected him to _help _him.

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, and when they did, Sasuke felt like an idiot. How could he have forgotten that he'd brought the blond a spoon? He'd fucking walked all the way upstairs to grab it for him, how could he possibly have forgotten that the blond had a fork? How had he not noticed that? He felt stupid, and he was sure Itachi was going to remind him of how much of a moron he was later.

He was also pissed neither of them had thought to check on him. If they'd come down earlier, they'd have noticed what he was doing. Considering he'd been at the door when they'd come back, that meant he'd taken one look around the basement, not seen any windows, and headed for the stairs. If they'd come down even one minute prior, they probably would've found him still cuffed to the wall by at least _one _appendage.

But no. Sasuke had trusted him. And this was what he'd gotten for it.

"Where is it?" Itachi's voice was dark. Cold. He was beyond pissed, and Naruto was definitely going to regret his actions.

"Under my pillow," the blond replied.

Sasuke could still see the small trail of blood slowly dripping down the side of his face from his hairline. He hoped he wasn't hurt too badly, but truthfully, right now, he didn't really care. A part of him wanted to kill the guy just so they could be done with all this. Of course, it was just his anger talking and he would feel like shit if he woke up with Naruto dead, but right now... Fuck right now, he wanted him to pay.

"Get it," Itachi ordered.

For a second, it looked like Naruto wasn't sure who he was talking to, but Sasuke knew, and he moved over to grab it from beneath the pillow. It was bent out of shape, probably from the blond's attempts at lock-picking. Really, he was surprised Naruto had managed to get the cuffs off with the fork at all.

Picking up one of the cuffs, Sasuke inspected it, leaning closer to Itachi so he could see, as well. Surprisingly, it didn't look too damaged, but he knew Itachi would never risk it. They had another set upstairs, just in case, and he offered to go and get them. Itachi nodded his consent, and the youngest brother turned to head back up the stairs.

He turned to cast one last glance at Naruto, and saw the blond staring right at him, blue eyes boring into onyx. Aside from the head injury from Itachi, Sasuke could see a few scratches beneath his left eye, which definitely hadn't been there when he'd arrived. Naruto had worked hard to get that mask off. So close, and yet so far.

Climbing the stairs, Sasuke got the spare cuffs out of Itachi's "room," not wasting any time since he didn't want to go back downstairs and find either Naruto dead, or Itachi knocked over with the two of them wrestling for the gun.

He went to his temporary room to grab his own gun, which he hadn't done beforehand because he'd never thought he'd need it. Now, he knew better.

Hurrying back for the basement, everyone was exactly how he'd left them. He reached the bottom of the stairs and moved forward, holding the chains out to Itachi and waving his gun slightly.

"You do it, I'll watch him." He motioned Naruto.

Itachi yanked Naruto to his feet by the shirt collar, pulling so hard that a few of the buttons popped off. Growling, his brother pulled the shirt off forcefully, Naruto shifting his arms accordingly so that it could be removed, and then got to his feet when his arm was yanked. He was shoved into the wall again, and he stood there without a word, completely still, while Itachi shoved the futon away.

Sasuke knew why. He'd earned it at first, but now he didn't deserve it. Naruto didn't comment on it, he just stood staring at the wall, nobody touching him or keeping him there. Sasuke figured he'd decided to quit while he was ahead, which was wise, considering how visibly pissed off Itachi was.

"No food, no water, no bathroom break, and no bed," Itachi informed Sasuke, turning to glare at him. "I mean it."

The other just nodded, understanding. He wouldn't have cut Naruto any slack, anyway. He was just as pissed, even if Itachi didn't believe it.

"You know what's coming," Itachi said. Sasuke nodded a second time, though he felt it was more of a statement than a question.

The younger Uchiha had endured what was coming numerous times since his brother had become his legal guardian. He'd learned how to avoid it, though. All he had to do was listen to Itachi, and then it had become less frequent. Though he did still have scars from a few of the times, and they only reminded him every time he touched them while washing himself that he should always listen to his brother.

Now, Naruto was going to learn the hard way what it meant to disobey Itachi. And Sasuke found it hard to pity him. Considering the blond's attitude, he was fairly certain he'd at least gotten into a few fights in his life, so hopefully it wouldn't be like he'd never been hurt before. But still, he doubted he'd ever had to go through what he was about to. Considering Sasuke still remembered the pain, he was certain Naruto would feel it all the way until his release date.

Sasuke watched Itachi replace the cuffs, the older man tugging harshly on the chains once they were attached to the wall to ensure they weren't going to come loose. Then he clipped the cuffs themselves to the loops on the wall, so that when they were around Naruto's wrists, he'd have no slack.

"You're going to be uncomfortable, and cold tonight," Itachi informed Naruto, moving up to him once more. Sasuke just stayed where he was behind the other, gun aimed at his back. "And every time you do something like this, I'm going to increase the number."

"What number?" Naruto asked, his voice low, but steady. He wasn't worried. Yet.

Sasuke knew he soon would be.

Itachi didn't answer him. He just pulled Naruto over to where the cuffs were and pushed one of his wrists into them, snapping them shut. He did the same with the other wrist, Naruto's back muscles flexing when his arms were forced to extend outward.

The loops were far enough apart that when Itachi stepped away, Naruto was standing facing the wall, arms straight out on either side of him. His fists were clenched, and his back muscles were tense, as if the blond knew what was coming. Sasuke was certain he didn't have a clue as to what was coming, but he wouldn't correct him.

"What about his ankles?" he asked Itachi when the other admired his work.

"Later," he said, his voice still cold and dark.

Sasuke pushed his gun into the back of his pants once he'd put the safety back on, and forced himself to look away when he heard Itachi's belt snap loudly once it was removed. As much as he felt Naruto deserved this, as angry as he was, he didn't know that he wanted to watch.

"Get the camera."

The younger teen's eyes snapped to his brother, but Itachi didn't look at him. His eyes were locked on Naruto's back, as if he couldn't wait to start painting on it.

"Ayuu..." He knew he shouldn't piss his brother off right now, not unless he wanted to join Naruto against the wall, but to do that... That was cruel.

That was worse than forcing Naruto to jack off and have his father watch it. This wasn't right.

But when Itachi turned to look at him, giving him a clear "why are you still here?" look, Sasuke grit his teeth and turned to head for the stairs.

He climbed them quickly, half-hoping the camera had broken in the fall, but when he picked it up and inspected it, it looked unharmed, as if maybe Sasuke had broken its fall or something. He winced and let out a sigh before turning and heading back down the stairs.

Naruto was going to regret what he'd done, and sadly, Minato was going to have to know about it.

* * *

**A/N: Heh, totally forgot about Ice Station, which is silly of me |D Ice Station is (c) Matthew Reilly. And now I get to wonder how many people I will convert to his awesome on this site XD**


	5. Knowing Naruto

**Disclaimer: Do you guys think anyone would notice if I updated Kishimoto Masashi's will to state that Kiba was to be handed over to me in the event of his death? I mean, sure I'd be writing in English, but it could work, right?  
**

* * *

**September 16th, 18:13**

Naruto could hear each beat of his heart. Despite how he was acting outwardly, his body betrayed how he truly felt. His heart was slamming so hard against his ribcage that he wouldn't be surprised if it was leaving an imprint on his chest. He could feel adrenaline coursing through his veins, his fight or flight response having kicked in.

He didn't know what had possessed him to believe he would be able to escape. Fear, probably. He'd been so afraid of what was coming that he hadn't really considered the consequences if he got caught. He hadn't even considered the fact that he might see their faces, and that if he did, he was dead.

Truthfully, he hadn't seen any more than black hair and pale skin, which was pretty much ninety percent of the country, so realistically, the two men were safe. He wished he could say the same for himself.

He didn't know for sure what was coming, but he had a fair idea. He didn't know how he felt about it, though. A part of him—if it was what he thought it was—was relieved. That was far better than jerking off on camera. Another part, though, wished he'd just jerked off. Maybe that would've been the better way to go. After all, the last time he'd actually dropped trou in front of someone, he'd hyperventilated so badly he'd blacked out. Embarrassing, considering it had been a doctor, but still. If he'd just done that again, maybe Ayuu would've gotten tired trying to wake him back up and would've given up.

Who knew?

"Namikaze," Ayuu said from behind him.

"Uzumaki," he bit back immediately, more out of habit than defiance. It wasn't like he thought he could piss the guy off any more, anyway.

His head still throbbed from the blow he'd gotten, and he really hoped he didn't have internal bleeding or anything from the force with which he'd hit the wall. He was going to have a headache for days.

"Once the camera is rolling, I want you to tell your father you tried to escape, and you're receiving just punishment for it."

Naruto couldn't help the snort that left his body, but when he heard Ayuu start forward, he winced. "Right. Sure."

He grunted when a hand threaded into his hair and wrenched his head back, Ayuu's lips at his ear. "Don't. Test me."

"Got it," Naruto muttered, his head pushed forward shortly thereafter. It took a lot of self-control to stop himself from head-walling again.

"Essyu, make sure you've got a good angle."

"I'm ready," the other replied.

Naruto turned to look over his shoulder as best he could, the shackles preventing him from actually seeing much more than a few inches. Essyu was out of his line of sight, so he just faced forward again, let out a slow breath, and pressed his forehead against the wall.

He was pissed. Pissed that any of this had happened at all. That he was suffering because of what his father had done to these people. This wasn't fair, he was a nice guy, and he was the one being punished for his father being a money-hungry asshole.

_Why couldn't dad just have been a fucking farmer or something? _Naruto thought, annoyed.

"Go."

Hearing the beep of the camera, Naruto inhaled and exhaled slowly before licking his lips and deciding it would be best not to piss Ayuu off more. He'd already taken off his belt for what he was about to do, and Naruto really didn't want to get ass-raped. The guy was already halfway there, best not to press him.

"I tried to escape earlier," Naruto said in a low voice. "I got caught. Now, I'm receiving just punishment for my actions."

A loud crack preceded the pain Naruto felt explode across his back. All the air rushed from his lungs, the feeling much more intense and painful than he'd been anticipating. He'd gotten into a fair few fights over the years, both with Kiba and with other people, but nothing could ever have prepared him for the pain of the belt hitting his back.

It felt like liquid fire was dancing beneath his skin, agony coursing through his veins. When a second hit came, his body begged for him to stop whatever it was he was doing that was causing it, but he just grit his teeth and rubbed his forehead painfully against the wall.

He couldn't help the grunt that forced itself from his lips when a third strike hit right on top of a previous one. He could feel the skin break, felt blood beginning to trek down his back. Each hit was like a million tiny needles forcing themselves into his skin. The pain was indescribable, and it took a conscious effort for him not to start screaming.

The blond had more pride than that. So he just breathed hard through his nose, letting out grunts whenever he felt skin break, but nothing else. He wouldn't give Ayuu the satisfaction. He clenched his fists tightly, angrily, tugging on the cuffs and chaffing the skin of his wrists, but he didn't care. Fuck, he just wanted it to end!

How many had that been? How many more were there to come? Fuck, it hurt!

Just when he was starting to worry that he would let out a shout he didn't want to satisfy Ayuu with, everything stopped. He heard a beep, suggesting the camera had been turned off, and breathed hard, relaxing his fists and slumping forward against the wall, struggling to inhale while fire danced along the skin of his back. He could feel his body shaking, but he hoped it wasn't noticeable. He didn't want Ayuu to know how badly it had hurt.

"That was fifteen," Ayuu informed him.

Naruto grit his teeth. Fuck, only fifteen? It had felt like a hundred. He would never lose a fight ever again after having experienced this pain. A punch to the face would be a slight annoyance. Actually, the headache he'd had previously seemed almost like a dull ache compared to what he was feeling on his back.

"Next time you do something, it'll be thirty. And then forty-five. And then sixty."

"I get it," the blond bit out. "Fifteen extra, I got it."

He let out a grunt when the belt slammed into his back again.

"Don't patronize me."

Naruto ground his teeth together so hard, he was certain they were going to be nubs by the time he was let out of this place.

"Essyu. Do you want to give him any?"

The blond's shoulders stiffened, which was a bad idea because that just made fresh waves of pain spark down his spine and he forced himself to relax. He inhaled and exhaled slowly through his mouth, forehead still pressed against the wall, waiting to hear Essyu's answer.

He wouldn't blame him. He felt Essyu deserved to whip him more than Ayuu did. After all, hadn't they been kind of sort of friendly? And now, he didn't have anyone. In a way, he knew he'd betrayed the other, and he felt bad for it. So if Essyu said yes, Naruto felt like he wouldn't think any less of him. Anger was a powerful influence, after all.

"No," the other finally said after an impossibly long silence. "If it happens again, I'll give him the first fifteen."

Ayuu didn't say anything to that. Naruto just heard him doing his belt back up. He wondered if the other enjoyed the thought of Naruto's blood still lingering on the leather. It was a sick thought, and the blond wished he hadn't had it.

Footsteps approached and Naruto's previously closed eyes slowly opened. Hands appeared in his peripheral, the cuffs being disengaged from the loops. Naruto pressed his palm against the wall quickly to stop from sinking to his knees while Ayuu moved around him to undo the other one. He shifted that hand the same way as the first one, struggling to keep himself standing. Struggling to retain his dignity at least until they left.

"Next time, I won't let your arms loose," Ayuu informed him.

Naruto resisted the urge to say, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Indescribable pain and suffering." Thankfully, he kept his mouth shut.

Footsteps receded and he heard the two of them climbing the stairs. The light at the top was flicked, bathing Naruto into darkness.

"Good night, Namikaze," Ayuu said before the door shut behind him.

"It's Uzumaki," Naruto grit out angrily before slowly sliding to kneel on the floor, trying to ignore the pain in his back.

He knew one thing for certain, he definitely wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

* * *

**September 17th, 10:42**

When Sasuke awoke the next day, he had an ache in his chest that he didn't fully understand for a few long minutes. His stomach felt hollow, and he kept wondering if he was going to throw up with the signals his body was sending him, but he didn't _feel _sick. He just felt... numb. And empty.

It wasn't until he remembered what had transpired the previous evening that he realized why he felt like that. A part of him—however small—still felt somewhat betrayed by Naruto's actions, and a larger part of him felt stupid for having honestly believed that the blond wouldn't try to escape. He was a fucking prisoner, of _course _he was going to try and escape!

Pushing himself to his feet, because he refused to mope around in bed all day about something as stupid as feeling upset that a captive had tried to escape, the raven headed into the bathroom and relieved himself. He brushed his teeth and his hair, then headed back into his room to get some clothes on.

Once he was dressed, he stepped out of his room and headed for the kitchen. Shockingly, it was empty, and even more shocking, Itachi had left a note. It wasn't the note that made Sasuke a little concerned, but the fact that he'd left him alone in the house with Naruto while he was still sleeping. What if the blond had gotten free again and slit Sasuke's throat?

Well, maybe he'd checked on him beforehand, and based on the time it said he'd left at, it had only been about ten minutes or so before Sasuke had woken up, so it wasn't a huge deal. Itachi had just said they needed more materials to make a new plaster mask for Naruto. They hadn't expected the one to get busted up, so they hadn't thought to buy extra stuff.

It wasn't until he opened the freezer to see if there were any Eggos left that he saw the piles of money stacked inside. At first, he didn't understand, but then realization dawned on him. Last night had been the money pickup. Itachi had probably hidden most of it at their house, and put some extra in the freezer here for safekeeping. Itachi was weird with money like that, he always hid it in places people wouldn't really think to look.

Sasuke was glad the pickup had gone well. He'd been a little worried about it earlier in the day, but after what Naruto had done, it had completely slipped his mind. Itachi must've gone while he was sleeping.

Shutting the freezer door with a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck and reached for some bagels sitting on the counter, cutting one in half and popping it into the toaster. His eyes shifted to the basement door, and he wondered if Itachi had bothered to go down there at all today.

Growling under his breath, Sasuke headed for the kitchen table, snatching up his mask, and yanked it on over his head. He hadn't wanted to be the one to go down there, especially since he knew things were different now, but Itachi was liable to let Naruto starve to death, and they needed him alive.

He just needed to remind himself they weren't friends, and that Naruto was a fucking spoiled little rich kid who needed to be taught a lot about life. That was probably the only way he was going to be able to ignore that he'd started to enjoy the other's company.

Opening the basement door, he turned on the light and stared down at the stairs. Gritting his teeth, he turned to make sure the toaster settings weren't too high so his bagel wouldn't burn, and then slowly started down them.

When he reached the bottom and turned to Naruto, he found the blond hadn't moved much from the night before. He was kneeling in front of the wall, facing it, with his hands in his lap and his head slightly bowed. There were large, red welts all across his back, and blood had dried against his skin where a few of the lashes had broken through. The back of his pants were stained red where some of it had travelled down his skin to the hem.

Sasuke doubted he'd slept. Even he didn't sleep after being belted, but luckily he hadn't had one in a while.

The Uchiha suddenly felt a little bad. Naruto hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for well over twelve hours by now. He hadn't gone to the bathroom, he probably hadn't slept, he was obviously in pain, and definitely _cold_. It was honestly really hard to stay mad at him.

He approached him cautiously, straying to the side slightly since he couldn't see the blond's hands and didn't want to get stabbed with the sharpened end of a toothbrush or something. When he was beside him a little ways away, he saw Naruto's hands were empty. He had just folded them in his lap. His blue eyes were closed, but Sasuke could tell he wasn't asleep, his breathing was too jagged, betraying the pain he was still feeling.

"Naruto."

The eyes opened slowly, the blond lifting his head and turning it to look at Sasuke.

"I'm going to bring you to the bathroom."

"Okay," Naruto replied.

Sasuke moved over to him, pulling the keys from his pocket and wishing he'd remembered to grab the gun, but he still had his switchblade, the item forever present in his pocket. He bent down and undid the chains around Naruto's wrists, but kept the ones around his ankles on, since they only linked his legs together, and didn't tie him to the wall. Now that Naruto could see, freeing him entirely was a bad idea. He also linked the cuffs on his wrists together so he was essentially handcuffed.

The only upside was that he probably didn't know Itachi was gone, so he wasn't going to knock out Sasuke and bolt for the stairs. He'd probably assume to hit Itachi in the kitchen.

"Okay, come on," Sasuke said, more gently than he'd intended, and pulled at Naruto's elbow, helping him get to his feet.

Naruto winced once for the briefest of moments, but made no sounds or showed any other signs of pain. He nodded a thanks when he was on his feet, and then walked ahead of Sasuke to the bathroom. Once he was inside, Sasuke shut the bathroom door behind him and took a step back, looking around the basement while waiting for the other to finish up.

He heard him relieve himself, and wash his hands before he brushed his teeth. He also thought he could hear him drinking from the tap, which made sense since he was probably dehydrated.

Listening to him gasp in air between mouthfuls of water made him feel guilty, his mind returning to its previous "he never did anything, his dad did" argument. Letting out another growl, and knowing Itachi was going to be pissed, Sasuke headed over to the futon and pushed it back over to where the chains were.

Naruto had gotten the message. He'd been bad, they'd punished him. He'd been good all night, and all morning so far—not that it had been long, but still—so Sasuke felt he at least deserved some warmth and comfort after the night he'd had.

And food. Definitely food.

Once the futon was back where it had been the day before, Sasuke headed back to the bathroom, listening to Naruto still drinking. He knew he'd have to make sure he came down a lot more often today since the blond would obviously have to take a leak again.

After a few minutes, the door opened once more, Naruto rubbing at his chin with his hands to try and wipe away some of the water. The side of his face was also wet, the blood from his head wound having dried on his skin the night before. Naruto had obviously washed it off.

Sasuke motioned him back towards the futon, and Naruto eyed it for a few seconds before looking back at him.

"You'll get in trouble."

"So?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Let me worry about Ayuu. You had a rough night. Just get on the futon before I change my mind."

The corners of Naruto's lips twitched, as if he were going to smile at him, but the blond quickly straightened his mouth out once more before mumbling another thanks and walking over to it, pulling the covers back and sitting down on the futon.

Sasuke headed over as well, grabbing the chains and connecting them to the cuffs before separating them so Naruto had more mobility again.

"I know you're cold, but hold off on getting under the covers for a minute. I'm gonna go get some stuff to clean up your back. Just lie down on your stomach."

"Okay," Naruto said, and Sasuke could hear him moving to do so while he headed for the stairs, climbing them quickly and heading for Itachi's room. He walked into the other's bathroom and started looking through the cabinets, knowing his brother had bought a first aid kit for the kidnapping.

Finally finding it still packed away in one of Itachi's suitcases, he headed back for the basement, noticing his bagel had popped up, but he didn't worry about it just yet. He just closed the basement door behind himself and walked slowly down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, Naruto was lying on his stomach with his arms resting under his head, face turned to the wall.

Were it not for the angry marks on his back and the fact that he was in a basement, one would've thought he was tanning or something with how calm and unconcerned he seemed to be.

Walking over to the other, he sat down on the futon beside him, opening the kit and pulling out the rubbing alcohol as well as some cotton balls and a few rolls of gauze.

"I'll get you something to eat once we're done here."

"Thanks."

Sasuke poured some of the rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball, then leaned forward and started rubbing it against one of the wounds. Naruto's back muscles tensed, and he was sure his fists were clenched, but he didn't say anything. Sasuke couldn't really see his face, so he wasn't sure what kind of expression it held.

He took his time cleaning the other's back up, not to be cruel, but because he didn't want it to get infected. He stood up to wet a cloth at one point to clear off all the dried blood to make it easier to see the actual wounds, then went back to using the rubbing alcohol. After he was satisfied, he covered the wounds up with some gauze, using medical tape to keep them in place.

The entire process was completed in silence, the only sound that of Naruto and Sasuke's breathing, and the occasional piece of tape being torn off the roll. Once he was done, Sasuke gathered everything up and packed away all the good supplies before standing to toss the garbage into the trash in the bathroom.

Returning for the kit, he grabbed it and headed for the stairs.

Naruto mumbled something, causing him to stop and turn back to him with a frown.

"What?"

"I said I heard you talking," the blond repeated, head still turned away.

"About what?" Sasuke frowned, moving back over to where Naruto was and standing beside him.

"I don't have much of a problem being here, you know," Naruto said, for what Sasuke felt was the millionth time. "I didn't try to escape to ruin your master plan or whatever. And I know that there's going to be some animosity between us now because you probably think I was trying to earn your trust so you'd be caught off-guard when I tried to bolt." Naruto snorted softly. "I like talking to you, Essyu. When we talk, I'm not Minato Namikaze's son. I'm just... normal. I'm any other guy."

"Then why did you try to escape?" Sasuke bit out, feeling resentful again. "If you like it here so much, why did you risk getting shot to get out?"

"I don't feel like it'd be a good idea to tell you why," Naruto admitted quietly.

Sasuke just shrugged at that and turned to head back to the stairs.

"I have post traumatic stress syndrome," the blond said more loudly when Sasuke was halfway across the room.

"Related to what?" the Uchiha snapped, turning to look at him again.

"Stop being a dick," Naruto snapped back, turning his head to glare at him. "I'm trying to explain, here, the least you could do is fucking listen!"

Scowling angrily, Sasuke just slowly crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at Naruto, waiting expectantly.

"When I was little, I was sexually assaulted by a guy, who then proceeded to threaten to cut off my dick on numerous occasions, and actually got as far as almost going through with it," Naruto bit out angrily, glaring right back at Sasuke.

The raven's expression fell right off his face. He hadn't expected to hear something like that come out of Naruto's mouth. A part of him wondered if he was just lying to save face about having tried to escape when he'd said he didn't want to. But nobody would lie about that, and looking at the other, he believed him.

"Oh," Sasuke said quietly. "So... you heard what Ayuu said."

"About the video, yeah," Naruto replied, his expression softening now, as if realizing Sasuke was no longer pissed off. "I knew it was stupid to try and get away, but my brain just panicked and it was like nothing else mattered. All I could think about was having my dick exposed and logic just vacated the premises."

Sasuke didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything. He just stared at Naruto, the blond shifting awkwardly.

"Please stop looking at me like that. I didn't tell you for pity, I just wanted you to understand."

"It's not pity," Sasuke insisted, though really, he didn't know _what _he felt. "You should've told me."

Naruto snorted and gave him a look. "Come on, dude. Would _you _have told your kidnapper your biggest fear and weakness right off the bat?"

"I suppose not," the raven replied. "Still, if you'd said something, I could have tried to help." He would've failed, but the thought would've been there.

"I'm not stupid," Naruto insisted. "I know you're a decent guy, for a kidnapper, anyway, but we both know Ayuu's the one in charge. If he wanted me to jerk off on tape, it would've happened. Considering my psychological disorder, I'm feeling like I got the better end of the deal."

Sasuke snorted at that, not knowing how anyone could find being belted better than jerking off, but he didn't say anything about it. He didn't know what kind of problem this was for Naruto, but if it was bad enough that he'd try to escape because of it, he'd just trust that it was bad.

"So... I'm sorry if you feel like I was playing you." Naruto pressed his lips together. "I know it won't change anything, and you're still gonna be on guard with me now, but I get it. It's my fault so, I'll just deal with it."

Again, Sasuke didn't know what to say, so he just nodded somewhat awkwardly and started for the stairs again. "I'll go get you something to eat."

"You were right, you know," Naruto called after him, making Sasuke pause on the stairs, but he didn't bend down to look at the other.

"About what?"

"Your eyes," the blond informed him. "They _are _the same as mine."

The raven continued up the stairs and shut the basement door behind him.

* * *

**September 17th, 12:52**

Minato sat at his large, mahogany desk, hands folded together and resting against his mouth while he stared down at the disc with his name on it. It had been sitting at the same spot Minato had been told to make the first drop, and despite having had it for over twelve hours by now, he still hadn't gotten the courage to watch it yet. He didn't want to know what was happening to his son. Didn't want to know that it had only been four days and felt like four years.

He just wanted him back. He didn't want to watch this, and suffer, even though he knew his son was suffering so much more than he was. But despite everything, he'd have to watch it eventually. The time and date of the next drop—the last one?—was on that disc. He just didn't want to watch what came before that information.

Fuck, he wished they'd just asked for a lump sum right away so he could've given it to them and then gotten his son back. He would have emptied his bank account to get his son back, no price was too high! He would have paid whatever they wanted! But no, instead, they'd asked for a pathetic amount of money, asking him to give them only a tenth of what he'd had come in this entire week. And they were going to keep Naruto.

Letting out a slow breath, Minato finally decided he had to watch the disc. He doubted the next drop would be anytime tonight, but just in case, he didn't want to miss even one detail about anything that would risk causing his son more harm.

Muting his Windows Media Player, he popped the disc in and started it up. The same "Are you watching?" message as last time scrolled across the screen.

The image changed to show Naruto, standing facing a wall with his arms out on either side. Minato frowned when nothing happened, wondering if maybe someone was speaking, and used the time to check the date. When his eyes focussed back on his son, he jumped when a belt materialized out of nowhere and slammed against Naruto's back, leaving behind a large, red line.

Hastily reaching for his mouse, he skipped to the end, hitting pause and covering his face with both hands, letting out a slow breath. His son was tough, he knew he was all right, but that didn't make him feel any better. Naruto had gotten whipped—well, belted—and he didn't even know how many times, or why. Well, obviously to make him suffer, but they were also making his son suffer!

"Fuck, why didn't you just take me?" he whispered, clenching his fists into his bangs and tugging. He would do anything to switch places with Naruto. Let them take their anger out on him for his wrongdoings, not his son.

_How much longer?_ He didn't know if he could survive this. He didn't know if he had the will to watch all these videos, knowing this was all his fault. _How much longer are you going to keep him? _He needed to know. Fuck, he so badly wanted to fucking know!

Reaching for his phone with a shaky hand, he let out a slow breath and hit the intercom button.

_"Yes, Mr. Namikaze?" _Ayame said from the other side of his door, speaking into the intercom so her voice wasn't muffled.

"Ayame, send Tenzou Yamato up, please."

_"Right away, sir."_

"Thank you."

He hit the disconnect button and buried his face in his hands again. He tried to calm himself down before looking up once more and unpausing the video. It informed him to drop the next amount into a specific garbage can in the city mall's parking lot three days from today. It also said another home video would be waiting.

Popping the disc out, Minato replaced it in the small case it had come in and put it into his briefcase. Taking a few seconds to decide whether or not he was actually going to do this, he finally put an "out of office" response on his e-mail, turned off all of his computers, and picked up his phone to change his voicemail.

A knock came at his door while he was finishing up getting his paperwork into piles, his briefcase sitting on the desk waiting to be taken home.

"Yes, come in," he called, straightening and watching his door open.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"I did." Minato motioned for Tenzou to take a seat in front of him. "Please, sit."

The man nodded his thanks, walking into the office and shutting the door before heading for the chair he was motioned to. Minato could tell he was nervous, and he felt bad because the man probably thought he was getting fired.

How so very wrong he was.

"You've been working for me for ten years now, haven't you?"

"Eleven, sir," Tenzou replied.

"Eleven. You're a hard worker. Honest. People really like you."

"Um, thank you, sir."

"Sorry." Minato rubbed at his face, forcing out a laugh. "I know how this must seem to you, but you're not getting fired, please relax a little." He smiled at him and cleared his throat, playing with the latches on his briefcase. "I called you up here because I have a favour to ask you."

"Of course, sir. How can I help you?"

"I'm having personal problems at home. My son—" His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "He isn't well. Thing are looking very bad for him and I-I need to take some time. A leave of absence. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I need someone to run the company, someone who can make decisions I know I'd approve. I was hoping you would do this for me."

"S-sir, I would be—I'm honoured. Truly." Tenzou stood, beaming. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, sir, I promise I won't let you down."

"Thank you," Minato said, letting his hands rub awkwardly over the top of his briefcase. "Everything you need to know is in these files." He motioned the piles on his desk. "You're welcome to use my office, if need be, but if not, just know that Ayame can help you with any questions you may have. If you're uncertain about something, you're welcome to leave it for me for when I return. If it's urgent, you can call me at home, but I would prefer not to be bothered so please try not to call me more often than necessary."

"Of course, sir. I'll try my best."

"Thank you." He picked up his briefcase. "I'm going to be going home now, but don't worry about anything until tomorrow. And, of course, you'll be getting a raise for the duration of my absence." He stood awkwardly behind his desk, never having taken a leave of absence, and unsure how to go about it.

He was always the first person in in the morning, and the last person out at night. He worked weekends and holidays. He worked from home. His entire life was about work, and now that he knew he needed time off, he didn't even know how to exit his own office early.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Namikaze, I won't let you down."

"Thank you for doing this," the blond returned, forcing a smile and walking around his desk to head to his door.

"Mr. Namikaze?"

He turned to look at Tenzou, who smiled sympathetically at him.

"I hope he's all right. Naruto, I mean. He'll be okay, won't he?"

"I hope so," Minato replied, exiting his office. Tenzou was on his heels, and Minato stopped to explain everything to Ayame while the other man left for the elevators.

When the blond started to leave, Ayame put her hand on his and offered him a smile. "Naruto's a strong boy, Mr. Namikaze. He'll get through this. And so will you."

"Thank you." He forced a smile. "For your support. And for your silence."

"I hope he's returned to you soon. I'll make sure things remain as they are until you get back."

"Thank you." Minato had never really considered all that Ayame did for him, and he decided he'd stop by the financial department on his way down to give her a raise. He would have to for Tenzou, anyway, so why not both at once?

So, he made that stop on his way down, struggling to be chatty with the nice woman who ran the department because she really did work hard, but he wanted to go home. He managed to escape without feeling too bad about how he'd handled everything and headed downstairs.

His car was waiting for him, though he hadn't thought to ask for it to be brought around. Ayame had obviously done it for him and he smiled slightly before getting into the back seat.

The drive home was silent, and he was thankful that Asuma could read his mood enough to not say anything, though he supposed it made sense since the other man was one of the staff who knew about the kidnapping.

When he arrived at his front door, Tsunade was waiting for him, as if either Ayame or Asuma had called ahead to inform her he was on his way home. He climbed out of the car and walked up to her, the woman holding out her hands for his coat and briefcase.

He put the briefcase down on the ground and hugged her. She didn't do anything for a few seconds, and then hugged him back.

"I know this is hard for you, too," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Tsunade just nodded against his chest before sniffing and pulling away. She cleared her throat and composed herself, bending down to take his briefcase and pulling his coat from his other hand, clearly determined to do her job.

"Kiba visited again today," she informed him while they both entered the house. "He's beginning to ask a lot of questions about why he can't see Naruto. He keeps insisting he can cheer him up if he's sick."

"Tell him it's contagious," Minato replied, feeling bad about lying like this to his son's best friend. "Tell him it's deadly, like the plague or something."

"That might cause unwanted attention," Tsunade replied. "But I'll have Shizune buy some medical masks for everyone to wear to imply it's very contagious. That way, when he comes, he'll see physical proof that he can't come in."

"Right." Minato rubbed his face. "Thank you. You should get some rest, Tsunade."

He started for the stairs, hearing her following him, obviously concerned. "Did you need anything, sir?"

He paused with one hand on the railing, his shoulders hunched in defeat. "No," he whispered. "I just want my son back."

Minato climbed the stairs to his room without another word, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

**September 20th, 14:08**

Naruto sat leaning back against the wall, staring at the inside of his new plaster mask, and let out a huge, annoyed sigh. Naruto was bored. He was so bored that he was trying to test out how long he could lean back against the wall before his injuries started to get intolerably painful. So far, he'd gotten as far as seventeen minutes before leaning forward to relieve some of the pressure.

Naruto was bored. He was so incredibly bored he was causing himself pain to have something to focus on. He'd never been this ridiculously bored in his entire life. Wait, that was a lie. He'd been this bored _yesterday_. And the day before that. And the day before that.

After he and Essyu had spoken about his problem, he'd gotten fed and his new mask had been made. Then, the other hadn't come back down again except for meals and the occasional call for a bathroom break. But otherwise, he just stayed upstairs with Ayuu.

The blond figured it was because he was still pretty pissed off about his escape attempt, but considering he'd explained why he'd done it, he'd hoped Essyu would be a little bit more understanding. Then again, if the other didn't have anything to compare Naruto's fear to, he probably wouldn't ever understand the kind of panic he'd felt and the need to get out.

It was weird for him to feel as though he'd lost a friend. He knew he and Essyu weren't friends, that was an impossibility, but it didn't mean he hadn't at least thought the other was relatively cool and fun to talk to. But now, he figured he'd have to get used to dying of boredom until he was let go.

He sighed and pulled away from the wall, not having been able to break his seventeen minute record. Shifting so he could lie down on his stomach, he let out another sigh and groaned pitifully. "Fuck, I'm so bored," he whined, unable to help himself. He was going to die of boredom, at this rate. Couldn't they have given him even some music? Like, seriously, he'd listen to the same song over and over again if he had to.

His head cocked towards the stairs when he heard the front door slam upstairs, then footsteps overhead, and two voices. His captors were talking. He couldn't really make out what they were saying, but he could tell it was an argument. Essyu's voice got a bit louder, clearly unhappy about something Ayuu had just said. Maybe they'd almost gotten caught?

Fear gripped him when he imagined Ayuu saying they should kill him. As much as he hated being at home, and hated being bored out of his mind in this basement, he definitely felt he'd hate being dead a lot more.

Why didn't they just ask for one huge lump sum and then let him go? Wasn't it riskier to be keeping him this long, anyway? Naruto would've just asked for the one sum, it was faster and safer. Having him here just increased their chances of getting caught if he started screaming when a neighbour knocked on the door, or if he escaped, like he'd almost done the other day.

_Ugh, I can't wait for life to get back to some semblance of normal,_ the blond thought with another annoyed sigh, burying his face in his pillow and trying to suffocate himself. Which he found ironic, considering not a second ago he'd been worried about getting killed. Still, as much as he hated school and his life back at home, at least he could live it without _dying of boredom_!

The voices upstairs were getting closer to the basement door and he lifted his head, squinting behind his mask and listening hard to see if he could make out what they were saying. Both men had started speaking more softly once Naruto had confirmed he could hear them from the basement, so despite them both already being fairly quiet, they lowered their voices even more so that it was virtually impossible for him to hear them.

He knew they were talking about him, that was pretty damn obvious, but he wanted to know what they were discussing more specifically than just that it was about him.

Letting his head fall back onto the pillow, he rolled over onto his side, then winced and rolled back onto his stomach. One of the injuries on his back hurt more than all the others, and it was almost under his arm so that if he tried to lie on his side, it stung.

Honestly, Naruto hadn't known people still did that. The belting thing. He'd been wondering over the past few days since then if Ayuu had just done it in the heat of the moment, or if he was pretty practised at it. He'd seemed to know what he was doing, and Naruto wondered if maybe Essyu had been the person he'd practised on. The other teen had been pretty good with cleaning off his wounds, and knowing where to apply pressure and where not to. That suggested prior knowledge of it.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he forced himself to think of something else. He tried to bring up a happy memory he could delve into to distract him for a while. Was it sad he couldn't think of one?

Letting out a sigh, the blond opened his previously closed eyes, not that the view had changed much since then. Black to black. Eyelids to the mask. Oh happy day.

He felt kind of upset to know he had nothing happy to look back on, and realized Kiba had been right when he'd said he'd graduate with nothing to think back on. Thinking of Kiba made him smile a little, though. He missed his friend. Kiba wasn't the smartest person in the world, and he definitely had sex on the brain, but he was his best friend, and he was always awesome and fun. He wondered if his friend knew about his kidnapping. And what he was feeling about it.

Snorting, Naruto wondered what his _dad _was doing. Probably working. That, or counting all of his bills one by one, sobbing at all the ones he'd lost trying to get Naruto back. Probably just for show, too. People would notice if his son suddenly disappeared, and the police would get involved and it would all be a whole lot of paperwork for him. He figured his father would probably make him pay him back, one penny at a time.

Realistically, he was shocked his father was paying the ransom at all, but then he just went back to thinking about all the work he'd have to do about covering it up and realized it was really in his father's best interest to get him back. He wasn't eager to go home and get a stern talking to, though, about all the money he'd lost him. Of course, dad would blame him.

Because it was _his _fault he'd gotten picked up in a fucking limo, right?

He also knew his father well enough to know that the second he got home, the police were going to get sent out to hunt down the "bastards who stole" his money. Naruto wasn't important to him at all, only his money was. And once he got it back, things would return to how they used to be, with Minato always working, and Naruto always eating his meals by himself, or ignored by the man sitting beside him.

_Maybe I should just die, _Naruto thought with a snort. He'd save his father all the paperwork. Nobody would really miss him. Well, except Kiba. And Tsunade.

"Oh, shit," he whispered to himself, not having thought about her. Tsunade must've been worried out of her mind, and he felt guilty for not having even thought of her once since arriving here. He supposed it was because he'd been too busy being mad at his dad. He hadn't thought about Kiba much, either, until just recently.

But now, he felt that no matter what happened, he had to get through this. If not for his own sake, for Tsunade's. He was like her son, and she was like his mother, and he didn't want her to suffer. And he supposed for Kiba, too. Poor guy would be lost without him. They'd known one another for so long that it was almost safe to say they didn't really have any other close friends. They were always together, and he had to wonder what Kiba was doing now at school. Was he just sitting in a corner by himself, making jokes at nobody? Or was he trying to get closer to someone else to fill the void Naruto had left behind?

He wouldn't blame him if he made a new friend, as long as he wasn't replaced. He planned on coming back.

And still, he wondered if Kiba even knew. Did anyone know? He was certain his father would've called the police about everything, but Essyu had made it seem like Minato was doing everything completely by the book. But that couldn't be true, right? There had to be some cops involved, right?

Was it even legal not to report a kidnapping?

His head snapped towards the stairs when he heard the door at the landing open, and soft footsteps slowly descending them. He let out a relieved sigh, happy to finally have some entertainment, even if he knew it was Ayuu. Essyu walked a little bit heavier than that.

Sitting up, straightening the new shirt he'd been given after his belting, he sat cross-legged on the futon and tilted his head slightly, trying to determine how close the other was. He wondered what he wanted. He knew it wasn't meal time, it was too early. _Probably just providing me with my daily dose of pain, _he thought, rolling his eyes.

He heard the click of a gun hammer being pulled back and froze. _Aw, shit, come on! Just when I decide I'll behave and live for Tsunade and Kiba, they decide to kill me?! _He let out a slow breath, hoping it was just a warning.

The futon dipped slightly when weight was added, Naruto figuring Ayuu was kneeling on the bed in front of him. He stayed completely still, then felt the barrel of the gun press against his temple. He clenched his eyes shut, praying this wasn't the end of him. He felt Ayuu would've said something if he was about to blow his brains out, so this was something else, and he struggled to stay calm.

Ayuu shifted closer, and the blond's eyes opened slowly, a frown marring his features. _What... the fuck?_

Was... was Ayuu sniffing his hair? Okay, seriously, he was the creepiest person Naruto had ever met, and he really hoped he was wrong.

But no. The other had his face buried in his hair, inhaling deeply, his free hand coming up to rest lightly against the side of Naruto's neck, thumb caressing his pulse gently.

Naruto wasn't sure what he should be doing, so he just sat there, letting the creepy man sniff his hair as if he didn't smell like the worst case of B.O. in history due to his not having showered in six days.

When Ayuu pulled back, Naruto felt lips lightly brush his own, and he had to hit the brakes on that one. He shoved Ayuu hard in the chest, hearing him fall back onto the floor, the gun luckily not discharging into his skull. He made it a point to rub at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Get your kicks somewhere else, Ayuu, I'm not your plaything," he spat at him, then lay back down on his stomach, hoping the other would just gather up his wounded ego and leave.

Luckily for him—and his back—he heard the other's soft footsteps heading for the stairs. A few seconds later, the door at the landing shut.

Naruto wanted to fucking go home.

* * *

**September 20th, 16:57**

Minato smiled down at the picture in front of him, hands moving to pull it from the album it was in and flipping it over so he could see the date, and the event it had been taken at. Three years ago. Such a short time ago, and he couldn't remember it? And when the hell had Naruto started playing basketball, anyway? Minato didn't remember him ever mentioning it, and he couldn't remember him ever going to any practices or games.

_Well, I wouldn't, would I?_ he thought to himself angrily while replacing the picture, noticing the way Naruto's smile didn't reach his eyes. _I'm not home long enough to really notice anything about him. _He let his fingers brush lightly along the picture.

He didn't know why he was doing this to himself. After having taken his leave from work, he'd tried to distract himself with movies and books, but nothing had been able to hold his attention. Even though he'd promised himself he wouldn't work, he'd been heading to his study to do just that when he'd passed by Naruto's room and had forced himself to walk into it.

After looking around for what felt like hours, he'd finally stopped in front of his bookshelf and noticed a bunch of photo albums. Now, he was sitting at his son's desk, flipping through them, both happy and sad to be finding out about things he'd never known about his son. Like the fact that he played basketball. And seemed to be really good at fishing. And spent a remarkably large amount of time at the Inuzuka's cottage in Florida. God only knew when, Minato doubted he'd noticed his son's absence, and it pissed him off to know he was such a bad father that Naruto could have been gone for months and he wouldn't have noticed.

It made him wonder if he'd have noticed Naruto had been kidnapped if nobody had told him about it.

Turning the page so he could look at the next picture, he smiled and let out a small laugh. It was of Naruto and Kotetsu, his son holding a hose and spraying water at the driver, who was on the opposite side of a sleek silver Mercedes. Kotetsu looked like he was having fun, a soapy sponge in one hand and the other up near his face to block the spray. Minato didn't remember ever seeing his son's driver smile like that.

He'd never known the man cared for Naruto so much. Now that he thought back on it, everything Kotetsu had said he'd done to stop his son from getting into the car... He could have been killed, but he did it anyway to save Naruto.

Minato took the picture out and flipped it over to check the date before replacing it and moving on. A few pages later, he stopped at a picture of Naruto and Kiba. The two of them were wearing swim-trunks, and were absolutely covered in mud. Kiba was holding Naruto in a headlock, and his son was laughing, flailing one of his arms. Minato couldn't help but laugh a little, as well. They both looked so ridiculous like that.

He pulled the picture out to see when it had been taken, but there was nothing written on the back. Frowning, he pulled the next one out, which seemed to be from the same trip, but it was also blank. He hadn't encountered any blank ones until then, so he was confused. Had Naruto maybe not gotten around to it? But no, the one afterwards, of the blond diving into a pool, had a date and an event on it.

A knock at the door made him jump, and he turned to see Tsunade standing in the doorway, smiling at him and holding a steaming cup between her hands. Her eyes were bloodshot, and he could only assume she'd recently been crying. He knew this kidnapping was as hard on her as it was on him. Sometimes he felt she had more of a reason to be upset than he did.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not." Minato hastened to find another chair for her, pulling it over to the desk so she could sit down, and then taking his own seat again. "Actually, I'm glad you're here. I was wondering if you knew when this took place." He ran his fingers lightly over the pictures of the two boys covered in mud.

Tsunade leaned forward, and smiled, reaching up with one of her hands and stroking the picture closest to her. "I remember these," she whispered. She seemed lost in thought for a few seconds, then she looked up at Minato. "This was last July, for Kiba's birthday. The two of them wanted to go camping, so they took off for two weeks after Hana had agreed to go with them, since Mrs. Inuzuka wasn't comfortable with two boys out alone in the wild. Hana and her boyfriend went with them."

"He was gone for two weeks?" Minato asked, feeling his heart sink and turning back to the pictures. It was one thing to suspect he hadn't noticed his son leave for long periods of time, it was another thing entirely for it to be confirmed. "Am I such a bad father that I didn't notice he was gone for two weeks?"

Tsunade pressed her lips together, and looked back at the album, turning the page, but Minato kept his gaze locked on her until she finally spoke. "It was the summer. Naruto wasn't around much, he spent most of his time at Kiba's. He was rarely home in time for dinner, it's natural not to notice he was gone."

"Did _you _notice he was gone?" Minato asked knowingly, feeling his heart clench in his chest.

Tsunade placed one hand on top of his. "It's my job to know where he is, Minato," she whispered.

"I'm his father, it should be my job, too," he insisted in just as quiet a voice.

They continued on for a while, Tsunade telling him about every single picture, the ones she'd taken in more detail since she'd actually been present. When they reached a set of Minato talking on the phone, he flipped them over and saw there was nothing written. When he looked at Tsunade, she looked sad.

Turning back to the pictures, he inspected them, trying to remember. He was in what looked to be a hotel room, somewhere exotic by the look of the scenery outside. He was talking on his blackberry, and the desk he appeared to be pacing in front of was littered with papers, as well as a laptop. For the life of him, he couldn't remember why Naruto would have pictures of him talking on the phone.

"Do I want to know?" he whispered.

Tsunade pressed her lips together. "That was Naruto's sixteenth birthday last October," she whispered. "You took him to Hawaii to celebrate it, but..." she trailed off.

"But I brought work with me. Like I always do," he replied, staring down at the picture. He was angry with himself. Was this all he had to show? Was this all Naruto had of him in his life? A picture of him talking on the phone while they were in Hawaii celebrating his birthday?

"All the pictures with nothing on them are ones Naruto took himself. He always told me he knew he'd remember when they were taken, and why he took them. All the others I wrote on the back of, just to make sure nothing was forgotten."

"Why?" Minato asked, turning to her. He liked the idea, but considering Naruto would always know, he had to wonder why.

The woman smiled at him. "Because I knew one day you would want to look at them, and I wanted you to know when they were all taken, and why." She looked back down at the album. "I'd always imagined it'd be you and Naruto looking at these together. I feel like I'm taking this away from him by doing it instead."

"I'll do this again with him," Minato said with conviction. "As many times as he wants. When he gets back..." he trailed off, then forced himself to finish. "_When_ he gets back, I'm going to make sure he knows that work isn't the most important thing to me. I just wanted him to be happy. I wanted him to have a good life, and I just... guess I forgot how to be a dad after a while. I was so busy trying to give him what I thought he wanted that I never bothered to ask what it _was_he wanted."

"I think that what he would like most when he gets back, is to be able to spend some time with you," Tsunade said with a smile.

Minato's mind flashed back to the video he'd seen earlier that day, and he clenched his jaw. He definitely didn't think that. He felt more inclined to believe Naruto would never want to see him again when he got back.

This was all happening because of him, why on earth would Naruto want to spend even one second with him after everything he'd been through?

"I doubt it," he whispered.

"You don't know him nearly as well as you think you do," Tsunade reassured him.

"You're wrong," Minato insisted. "I don't know him at all."

* * *

**A/N: It occurred to me that some people might be wondering why I chose Ayame as Minato's secretary instead of like, idk, Kurenai or something |D I kinda like Ayame though... We don't see her much, but she seems to have a strong personality, and I figured she just fit -shrugs- (For people who aren't sure who she is, she's Ichiraku's daughter at the ramen place. Sure we saw more of her in the filler than the actual anime/manga, but still, she's cool |D)**


	6. Kiba

**Disclaimer: So apparently Kishimoto Masashi has friends at the airport, because I didn't get onto the plane with Kiba. I was so close, too!  
**

* * *

**September 20th, 17:42**

Sasuke sat alone at the kitchen table, a half-eaten plate of shrimp fried rice sitting in front of him, and a cigarette dangling loosely between two fingers. He was staring across the room at the wall, not looking at anything in particular. Every few seconds, he brought the cigarette to his lips, inhaled, and pulled it away again, completely working on auto-pilot. The smoke would slowly escape from between his parted lips, the small stream of it obscuring his vision briefly before he would blow out and expel it from his lungs completely.

Then, the machine would come full circle, and his arm would move back towards his mouth, the raven inhaling on the cigarette once more before repeating the same process of letting it trickle through his lips and then blowing it out.

The Uchiha still wasn't sure what exactly had happened. Itachi had left, for one reason or another, and Sasuke had taken it upon himself to sneak down the stairs and pretend to be his brother all for the sake of being able to touch Naruto in the same ways he knew Itachi could.

_Fuck,_ Sasuke thought, scowling across the room. _What was I thinking? _He knew it was all Itachi's fault. His brother was one of those take-what-I-want-no-matter-who-tries-to-stop-me types. Sasuke wanted to be like that, too, he just knew he never would be.

Still, now he was screwed. Because now, Naruto would think Itachi liked him—which Sasuke was pretty sure he did, but still—and he, personally, felt off. Like he'd done something wrong, betrayed Naruto's trust. Which was just completely illogical considering what the blond had done. But still, it made him feel weird.

The cigarette was returned to his lips, the raven inhaling on it deeply while pondering his next move. He felt compelled to tell the blond, but if he did that, Naruto wouldn't trust him. Already he still did, even after everything that had happened, and he felt if he went down there to admit it had been him, and not Itachi, he'd lose whatever he had with the other teen. Whatever it _was _they had.

He just knew one of the main reasons Naruto wasn't trying to escape was because of him. Even though he'd tried the one time, he'd explained himself, and while Sasuke still wasn't sure that warranted forgiveness, he at least acknowledged that Naruto had issues that were harder to overcome than just willing them away.

But really, ever since that confession, Sasuke had been avoiding him. He didn't like the trust Naruto had in him. He was worried about it, because he didn't trust _himself _with the blond. Proven point being what had just transpired. He wanted him too much, it was too hard to let the blond trust him completely. Maybe it _would _be better if he told him. Maybe then, Naruto wouldn't be so happy every time he came downstairs.

_Figures I would fall for the one person on the planet I can __**never**__ have, _the raven thought with a snort, inhaling one last time before putting his cigarette out, holding the smoke in his lungs while leaning back in his chair before expelling it slowly from his lungs, watching it drift towards the ceiling.

Realistically, Sasuke knew that he didn't know enough about Naruto to _seriously _like him, but he was definitely attracted to both his looks and his personality. Something which only furthered his disapproval of what they were doing, not to mention he hoped the lashes on his back weren't going to scar like some of Sasuke's had.

Closing his eyes and letting his head fall back, he thought back on what he'd seen of the other's body while he'd been manhandled against the wall. He was so toned, and tanned, and fucking gorgeous. And so selfless. That one was what got to him the most. Naruto was so ridiculously selfless. And considering, he was taking this whole kidnapping thing well. Though if he pissed Itachi off any more than he already was with his non-chalance, he was probably going to get a bullet to the head...

Sasuke frowned and slowly lifted his head up before looking down at his legs, seeing his hand had somehow found itself between them, and was rubbing his half-hard cock through his jeans. Growling at himself, he quickly stood and headed for his bedroom to find _Ice Station _so he'd have something to distract him from Naruto.

If he didn't, he was liable to head downstairs and shove his dick in Naruto's mouth. Not only did he not want to do that, he really didn't want it to get bitten off. He didn't doubt for a second Naruto would bite any dick that went near his mouth.

"He's probably straight, anyway," the raven grumbled, kicking open his door and beginning to search for his book.

He was starting to worry he may have forgotten it in the basement after having read it to the blond the other day when he finally spotted it half-hidden under his futon. Snatching it up, he flipped through the pages, trying to find his favourite part of the book, where the hero took a drill to someone's skull when they tried to kill him and he didn't have any other weapons.

This really was his favourite book of all time, and he hoped that Naruto enjoyed it, too. What little of it he'd been reading to him, anyway.

The raven paused after reading the first sentence when thoughts of Naruto entered his mind again. "Unbelievable," he muttered to himself. "I must be the only guy on the planet who can be reading about brain matter spattering someone's clothing while simultaneously getting hard thinking about the guy chained in my basement."

Sasuke was going to need therapy once they had the money to afford it. He'd blame his fucked up brain on his brother.

Setting the book down and sitting down on his bed, the raven sighed, resisting the urge to get up and have another cigarette. He couldn't help but think about the blond because he felt bad about what he'd done. He tried to justify it by insisting Naruto had betrayed him by trying to escape, but that didn't work. Mostly because Sasuke himself would've tried to escape, too, were he in the same situation, and long before Naruto had.

And even then, Naruto had tried to escape for a legitimate reason. Which led Sasuke back to thinking about what he'd been told. About the man who had sexually abused him as a child. Sasuke couldn't even imagine such a thing. Sure, he himself had been abused by Itachi a few times, but it had been because his brother hadn't known how else to discipline him, and even then, it had only been physical abuse. Itachi had never done anything to him like _that_.

Now that he thought about it, he wondered if the person who'd abused him was his father, but he quickly discarded the thought. Naruto very clearly hated his father. If he'd abused him, the blond would be scared of him, and he most definitely wasn't. Considering who Sasuke had grown up with, he'd never thought he'd meet someone who could hate their guardian as much as he did. He'd been right, up until meeting Naruto.

Still, it was hard to try and wrap his head around a phobia like Naruto's. Exposing himself? He could understand somewhat, but at the same time, he didn't get it at all. It was in the past, and seriously, what was Naruto going to do when it came time for him to have sex? Was he going to curl up in a ball and rock back and forth or something?

Itachi would probably piss himself laughing if he found out about the blond's fear—well, maybe not, Uchihas didn't really laugh, but he was sure his brother would possibly make an exception. Considering Itachi walked around naked sometimes, and Sasuke too, knowing the teen in the basement was afraid of even showering naked was just... so weird.

The only thing Sasuke could think of to do was try and compare the other's fear to something he disliked. Uchihas didn't have fears, of course, so he had to think of something that came close enough that he could compare the two. _I hate clowns, _he finally thought with a frown. Again, he wasn't scared of them, but no one had ever found out why he didn't like them. The first time he'd ever seen one was when he was four, and had been at the mall with his mother. A clown had come up to him, holding out a balloon, and Sasuke had started bawling—baby Uchihas were allowed to cry!—for absolutely no reason.

Since then, every time Sasuke saw a clown, he tensed and would keep his distance. Was that kind of like what Naruto sensed? Maybe, though the blond seemed more willing to take fifteen lashes than show anyone his dick, so really, it was hard to compare Sasuke tensing to someone masochistic.

Sasuke felt Naruto would have to get rid of his fear quickly, though, because if he didn't, he was going to have a lot of problems. He'd gotten out of Itachi's plans last video, but he knew that his brother wasn't over his original plan. Naruto was _going _to jerk off on camera, no question, it was just a matter of when. It depended on how long Sasuke could talk him out of it.

Though why he was gonna even try, he didn't know. He didn't owe Naruto any favours, really. But he supposed a part of him felt he did since he'd been trusted with something so important. Not to mention he wasn't good at sharing and he didn't want Itachi to see Naruto's dick.

Sasuke rubbed his hand over his mouth, trying to think of what kind of video they could provide next that would allow the blond to keep his pants on. They'd already gotten their first payment. The next one was scheduled for later that night, and Sasuke knew Itachi would want the next video to be ready and waiting for Minato.

Thinking of the money just reminded him of the fight he'd had with Itachi earlier. Sasuke had wanted them to ask for more money so they could keep Naruto for less time. Itachi didn't want to deviate from the plan. So as it stood, they would still have him for at least one month. _One month_. He didn't find that fair. Not to Minato, and especially not to Naruto.

Things had been pretty stressful, and stretched, since Sasuke had had to quit his job for this to work, and Itachi had taken some vacation days, but now that they had the first payment, they were already a lot better. Their rent had been paid on their actual home, and the rent on this place had been paid, not to mention all the extra money they had for groceries and the like.

Still, Itachi was thinking of going back to work soon, since he'd only taken a week or two off, but he was worried their plan wouldn't work out if they used all the money they got from Minato to pay for their things. Which Sasuke found ridiculous since the first payment had already been more than Itachi made in a fucking _year_

But Itachi had said he'd redone the numbers, and if they let the blond go on their previously planned date, October fourteenth, they wouldn't have enough to get Uchiha Corps off the ground. So he had to stay until at least the twenty-second, and Itachi would have to go back to work. Sasuke hated that, but he wasn't going to argue.

Though he wasn't liking this, moreso than before. Because already, one month had turned into a month and a half. And what then? Would that turn into two months? Two to three? Three to four? What if Itachi just kept Naruto forever, leeching money off Minato whenever he pleased? What if Minato, thinking his son was dead, stopped paying?

"I don't like this," Sasuke grumbled. Though he'd already somewhat decided that if after the twenty-second, it looked like Itachi was going to try and keep him longer, he'd just release Naruto when the other went to work. What was he going to do? Kidnap him again?

Well, knowing his brother, possible, but he'd try anyway.

So much hadn't been going according to plan. Too much had changed, and Sasuke didn't like that, it made things worrisome. Of course, there was also that pesky little problem of Sasuke having fallen for their hostage, which was totally going to bite him in the ass later. Already kind of was, and he knew Itachi wasn't pleased with knowing Sasuke felt the same towards Naruto.

It would be so easy to fuck him right now, knowing the blond couldn't do anything about it. Just chain him to the wall and fuck him. Itachi was thinking it, Sasuke was sure. But he couldn't do it. He knew if he fucked him, then letting him go would be impossible.

Glancing over at the time, Sasuke raked one hand through his hair and stood. He had to get food down to Naruto before he starved to death. He hadn't realized he'd been distracted for so long, and kind of felt bad. What if Naruto had needed water hours ago? Or had to go to the bathroom or something? He needed to think about these things, now. He couldn't forget the blond didn't have the ability to do these things himself.

Naruto needed a shower, too. Sasuke knew this considering he'd been downstairs earlier, and the blond hadn't exactly smelled like roses. Not to mention he probably felt gross. Sasuke couldn't go two days without a shower, and for the blond, it was now bordering on seven.

He figured he should get him showered before Itachi came home, otherwise Naruto would probably never go for it. Not to mention, the next video would be taken as soon as he arrived, and Sasuke really didn't want Minato to think his kidnappers were pigs.

Exiting the room and heading towards the kitchen, Sasuke opened the fridge and peered inside to find something to make for Naruto. He had the fried rice, but it had shrimp in it and he recalled Naruto saying that he didn't like seafood, so that was out.

Pulling out a plate of cooked chicken, he peeled back the saran wrap and sniffed it, wondering if Itachi had made it last night or something. It smelled all right, so he stuck it into the microwave and set the timer, then pulled out the fried rice. He scooped some onto a plate, and used a fork to pick out all the shrimp, which wasn't as time-consuming as he'd assumed.

Once that was done, he stuck it into the microwave, pulling out the chicken, and heated it up for about a minute, cutting the chicken up into cubes. Once it dinged, he pulled the rice out, then mixed the two together, making a not-so-glamorous plate of chicken fried rice.

He didn't think Naruto would complain, though. At least it wasn't seafood, and when Sasuke took a bite, he found it wasn't bad. The chicken had seasoning on it, so he wasn't sure how it would taste with the rice, but it was decent.

Moving across the kitchen to grab a glass, then back to the fridge for some juice, Sasuke couldn't help the scowl forming on his face. _I feel like a mother, _he thought, displeased that he actually had to do all this. He knew he had no choice, but it still bugged him a little bit more each day.

Considering how he'd gone out of his way to make sure Naruto wouldn't eat any shrimp, he felt he was going a little overboard. Naruto was a hostage, not a prince. Itachi wouldn't have traded out the shrimp for chicken. Hell, Itachi probably wouldn't even have heated it up! He'd have brought it down in the tuppaware with a spoon and tossed it at Naruto.

_Well, I'm not Itachi. And I want Naruto to at least tolerate me, _he thought to himself, snorting.

Moving to the basement door with the plate of food and the glass of orange juice, he balanced the two for a second to open the door, then used his foot to get it open the rest of the way, starting down the stairs. He barely made it two steps down before Naruto's voice drifted up from the other side of the basement.

"Essyu! Jesus, fuck! I need to piss like a racehorse!"

Speeding up a little bit, Sasuke reached the bottom of the stairs and moved to his usual chair, putting the food and drink down on it and pulling the keys for the locks from his pocket.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," he admitted, moving closer and bending down to undo the cuffs around his ankles.

"I thought you guys had forgotten about me down here," Naruto said with a short laugh. "I was gonna yell, but I didn't think Ayuu would appreciate that. When I heard the louder footsteps on the stairs, I knew it was you, so I didn't hold back." He grinned.

Snorting, Sasuke just shook his head, undoing the cuffs around the other's wrists before pulling him to his feet and leading him to the bathroom much faster than usual, since Naruto looked on the verge of doing the pee dance.

Smirking, he put his hand on the toilet, as per usual, and then exited, closing the door behind himself. He couldn't help but wonder, now, if Naruto sat down to pee, considering he was scared of exposing himself.

"Maybe I should get walkie-talkies or something," Sasuke mused aloud, attempting not to think of how Naruto took a piss, because that was just weird. "This wouldn't happen again if we had those."

"Only buy those if you want me to hound you twenty-four-seven," Naruto said, his voice floating through the door before the toilet flushed. "I've been so bored these last few days, I'm surprised I'm still sane."

Sasuke pressed his lips together, feeling a little bad. He'd been so insistent on not seeing the blond because of his fucked up feelings that he'd forgotten Naruto literally had nothing to do down here. "I've been busy. I'll try to be around a bit more."

"Are you still in school?" Naruto asked, opening the door and holding one hand out. Sasuke took it, leading him back to the futon.

"I had to drop out," he admitted, shrugging off the pity he could already feel coming off Naruto. "Couldn't make ends meet, so I had to get a job."

"Sorry," the blond whispered. "That's really rough. I hope, provided my dad keeps paying, that you can go back."

"Hn," was Sasuke's reply.

He got him back onto the futon, Naruto sitting down how he wanted before Sasuke started cuffing him again. He then turned and grabbed the plate of food off the chair, as well as the drink. He handed him the plate first, bringing his free hand to the spoon.

"It's rice," he informed him. "There's juice here." He took the hand holding the spoon and brought it down to rest beside the glass sitting on the floor, so he'd know where it was.

"Thanks." Naruto beamed at him and then started scarfing down his food. Apparently, he'd been hungry, too, he'd just needed to take a leak more.

That made Sasuke feel guilty, because Naruto really shouldn't have had to wait so long for a bathroom break and some food. Maybe he really should invest in those walkie-talkies... He could tell Itachi Naruto had screamed about needing to piss, but then he felt his brother would come beat on the blond for being loud, when it wasn't even true.

"I didn't hear you come back," Naruto suddenly said, his mouth full of food while reaching down to find the glass and taking a huge drink. He'd drained more than half by the time he put it back down. "When did you get back?"

Sasuke stared at Naruto, wondering what he was talking about. "Get back?"

"Yeah." Naruto licked food off his lips, shifting on the mattress. "Ayuu came down after you left. I heard you guys fighting upstairs. When the front door slammed and he came down, I figured you were gone."

Sasuke thought fast, trying to explain why Naruto hadn't heard him return. "I went to the store. Ayuu was smoking outside when I got back. He opened and closed the door for me, so you probably missed it. I'm sure you've noticed he's quiet."

"Mm, totally," the blond agreed, swallowing what was in his mouth. "He's like a fucking ninja!"

Smiling a bit at that, Sasuke shook his head. He definitely got where Naruto was coming from. Sometimes, even _he _thought his brother was a ninja. "He'll be gone for a while, he went to work to catch up on some things."

"Good. I'm glad you're here and he's not," Naruto said, shovelling more food into his mouth. Sasuke felt he might have to bring him more. "I like it better when I'm home alone with you, to be honest, so he can be gone as long as he wants."

Sasuke forced himself not to wince, ignoring the guilt slowly eating away at his stomach. He didn't even know why it was bothering him, he hadn't even fucking _done _anything! Just buried his face in his hair and barely brushed lips. That shouldn't have made him feel this guilty!

"I was thinking," he said, trying to distract himself from his thoughts, "that we should get you showered before he gets back."

He had never seen someone so tan go so pale so quickly. "No."

"Narut—"

"No fuckin' way, man," he insisted, shaking his head.

"So you're, what, just gonna go un-showered for the whole time you're here?" Sasuke snapped.

"Maybe I will," the blond retorted childishly.

"Stop being a child," he snapped again, losing his patience. "I'll take your mask off and give you all the towels in the world to cover up. I know you have a problem, but just pretend you're in a hotel or something and take a damn shower. You stink, and your hair looks like shit and I don't want your dad seeing the next video thinking we don't bathe you."

That shut Naruto up pretty quickly. The blond just stared unseeingly down into his mostly empty plate, fingers curling around the edges. "Mask off?"

"Mask off," Sasuke confirmed. "You'll be able to see you're alone. Just know I'll be sitting out here with a gun."

Naruto nodded slowly, tapping the edges of the plate before taking in a deep breath and putting it down on the floor. "Okay. I want to do it before Ayuu comes home."

"Now?"

"Yeah," he whispered. "Now."

"Okay, let me get some stuff. Finish up, I'll be right back."

Standing, Sasuke headed for the stairs, climbing them quickly and exiting into the kitchen. He moved to his room, where he opened one of the suitcases in the corner and pulled out a bunch of towels, then reached for the Wal-Mart bags that contained some new boxers, sweat pants, and a new shirt.

Moving into his bathroom, he grabbed the shampoo and soap, bringing everything into the kitchen. He almost went down the stairs before stopping and turning around, dumping everything on the table and returning to his room. He grabbed his mask with a sigh and pulled it on, then picked up his gun and tucked it into the back of his pants once he checked the safety was on.

Returning to the kitchen, he gathered everything back up and headed into the basement once more. Naruto was still trying to eat what was left on his plate, and Sasuke moved straight to the bathroom, setting the towels and clothing down on the counter, then leaning into the shower to put the shampoo and soap on the shelf.

Heading back across the basement, Naruto put the plate down, obviously having heard him approach, and stood up. Sasuke started to reach for his shoulders to turn him around, then decided it would be safer for him to get him into the bathroom before letting him see. He'd know Sasuke didn't have a gun ready yet if he took his blindfold off now.

Undoing his ankle cuffs, and then his wrists, he led the blond into the bathroom and made him sit down on the toilet lid. He then undid the lock at the back of the mask and stepped back, quickly pulling the gun from the back of his pants.

Naruto reached up and pulled it off, wincing and blinking a few times before looking up at Sasuke. The raven tightened his grip on the gun.

"If I stand up to close the door, are you gonna shoot me?" Naruto asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No." Sasuke reached forward and shut it himself.

Letting out a slow breath, he turned to head over to his usual chair, turning it around so it was facing the door. Settling on it, he held the gun in his hand, resting it on his thigh, stared at the door, and waited.

* * *

**September 20th, 19:04**

Naruto didn't know how long he sat staring at the door, but he knew it had been at least five minutes. He didn't want to do this. He really didn't, but at the same time, he definitely did. Especially before Ayuu got home. If he was still naked, the other was liable to burst into the bathroom, yank him out, and force him to jerk off while the camera was rolling.

That got him moving pretty quickly. Naruto yanked off the shirt Essyu had given him, then winced while reaching over his shoulder to pull at the edges of the tape holding gauze to his back. It took a few minutes and a lot of craning his neck to look in the mirror, but he finally got the gauze off, and then pulled off his socks.

He hesitated at his pants, glancing at the door. Shuffling over to it, he leaned back against it, putting most of the weight on his lower back since the wounds still hurt, and then pulled off his pants. He hastily grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it around his waist, letting out a slow breath.

Gritting his teeth, and reminding himself he was covered and there was no window, he reached under the towel and yanked off his boxers, then pretty much leapt into the shower. He could do this quickly, he didn't need to be in there for long. Just a short shower, enough to clean off, and then he could jump out.

Turning on the water, he bit back a curse when he got blasted in the face with ice cold water. Twisting the tap for the hot, he stepped back until the water was at a more tolerable temperature, and then stepped back under it, soaking his hair before reaching for the shampoo and pouring a generous amount into his hand.

Reaching up, he couldn't help but sigh slightly when he started to rub the soap into his hair, really having needed a shower despite not having wanted to take one. Rubbing the shampoo into his scalp, he spent as long as he dared washing his hair before finally stepping under the spray and rinsing it all off.

Grabbing the soap, he started to rub it between his hands, forming suds, and then set it back down, washing himself quickly, and picking the soap back up every few seconds for more suds. Once he felt he was clean—or as clean as he was going to get in this place—he turned off the water and stood in the shower for a long while, listening to the water dripping from the towel.

Sighing, he stepped out, and grabbed a second towel, somewhat startled to see he also had a third, which made life simpler. He wrapped the new towel around his waist and pulled the wet one off quickly, tossing it back into the shower to be strained later, and then grabbed the last one, using it to dry himself off, being mindful of the injuries on his back. He pulled on boxers, then towel dried his hair before hanging that towel up behind the door on one of the hooks.

Grabbing the sweatpants, he yanked them on, then had the second towel join the first. Reaching into the shower, he twisted the last towel to try and rid it of as much water as possible, and hung that one off the shower rung. Then he pulled on his shirt.

It was weird to imagine everything being similar to at home, and yet completely different. Either way, he was just glad that he had been able to shower and change before Ayuu got home.

Raking one hand through his wet hair while stepping out of the bathroom, he stopped in the doorway to wait for Essyu, who was sitting on the chair across the room.

"Thanks. That was actually kinda refreshing."

"Glad you didn't freak out and pass out in the shower. I don't think I'd have gone in there to fix you up."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything. He wasn't quite sure what that was supposed to mean.

Essyu headed back to him and closed his hand around Naruto's forearm, leading him back to the futon and sitting him down before going through the usual task of cuffing him up again. Then he sat back down, and stared at him.

"No mask?" Naruto asked, cocking an eyebrow again.

"Ayuu said he won't be home until late. I'm doing the video. I figured we could make things a little easier for your dad."

"Why?" Naruto snorted. "You don't owe him any favours."

"I know," Essyu replied. "But I don't think it's right for someone to suffer so much. Your father is paying, he obviously cares."

"You don't know my dad," Naruto insisted, turning his head away and crossing his arms. "But yeah, whatever. Let's just get it done."

Essyu stood and walked up the basement stairs, Naruto's eyes following him the whole time. He really didn't know what to make of the guy anymore. He was so weird, but in a good way. Naruto had been telling the truth earlier when he'd said he'd rather stay home alone with Essyu. Then, it was like being home with a friend who was pretending to be his kidnapper. Like Kiba or something.

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of Kiba. He really hoped his friend was doing okay. And Tsunade, too. And Kotetsu, now that he thought about it. Poor guy had probably quit. Naruto was gonna miss him, he'd been his driver for a long time.

Snapping out of his thoughts when the door opened again, Essyu came down the stairs with the camera in hand and sat down in his chair. Naruto straightened a little, and Essyu hit the record button.

"Hey dad," the blond said.

And that was it. He didn't know what else to tell him. Anything he said might incriminate him as being involved in the kidnapping because it would all be things like "I like it better here anyway" and "maybe now you'll realize money is a hindrance" and stupid things like that. How had he gotten so mad at his dad that he couldn't even think of anything to say to him?

He heard the recorder beep and looked at Essyu, who lowered it.

"What?" he snapped, not liking the look he was getting.

"Do you want me to hurt you?"

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"Is it easier if something is happening?"

Lowering his gaze, Naruto thought about it for a second, and felt guilty when he realized he wanted to be injured. He wanted his father to see him suffer. Maybe the guy would have half a heart. Maybe then, his father would actually care.

"No," Naruto said, forcing himself not to be like that. He wasn't a dick. He hated his dad, sure. He was pissed at him, sure. But he didn't want to sink so low as to make him suffer. "No, I'm fine, I just..." He rubbed his face and took a deep breath. "I'm good. Sorry. Go again?"

Essyu raised the camera and hit the record button.

"Hey dad," Naruto tried again. "So, I survived the belting. Wasn't that bad, really," he said, looking down and playing with the edge of his blanket. "I deserved it for trying to escape, but..." he shrugged. "I took a shower today, too." He knew that was a stupid thing to say but maybe his dad would be impressed? He didn't know. "It was all right. I needed one. I smelled bad."

There was another pause, and he saw Essyu's finger hover near the off button but he shook his head, and raked his hand through his hair. "It's not so bad here, really," he said, forcing a grin. "The one guy's a total prick but, as you can tell by this video, the other's pretty nice. I guess... Just to give you peace of mind, know that I'm not getting beaten and raped daily. I get fed, I get bathroom breaks... I don't know." He shrugged. "It's kinda like home, except a little more boring. Speaking of home, please tell Tsunade not to worry, and that I'm okay, and that I love her. And tell Kiba, if he knows what's going on, that I miss him and hope he's doing okay. If he doesn't know, well... whatever story you told him, tell him I miss him anyway, and I hope he's doing okay." Naruto nodded. "And... yeah. Guess that's it. I'll see you when I see you."

He heard the camera beep, and Essyu lowered it. "You didn't say anything to him."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, frowning.

"You said to tell Tsunade you loved her, and Kiba that you miss him. But you didn't say anything to him."

Naruto frowned more, looking down at the blanket he sat on, and thought back on what he'd said. He deduced that Essyu was right, but his answer to that was a shrug.

"I have nothing to say to him. I don't even know the guy."

* * *

**September 21st, 07:45**

"They are gonna let me in this time," Kiba said, glaring out his window at the Uzumaki gates while they slowly opened for his car to enter. "They are going to let me in, or so help me!"

"Sir, this isn't prudent," Kakuzu insisted, the car easing forward once the gates had fully opened. "Your mother was informed that he was highly contagious."

"I don't care, if my best friend is gonna die from the bubonic plague or something, least I can do is offer some company."

"To the afterlife?"

"Funny," Kiba snapped, scowling at the front doors the closer they came.

When the car finally stopped, he kicked open his door and stomped up the steps. He didn't ring the bell, he just pushed open the doors and started to bolt in when he slammed into a busty chest and was forcibly held back.

"Kiba, we've been over this!"

"You can't keep me out!" he insisted, struggling to get past the deceptively strong woman. "I'm not gonna be denied access! He's my best friend!"

"And he doesn't want you getting sick," Tsunade insisted, pushing him back harder. "He needs rest, on top of that, and you'll just excite him and make him have a coughing fit."

"Why can't I see him?!" Kiba shouted at her, taking a step back so he could look her in the face. "Why won't you _let _me see him?! You can go in wearing a mask, why can't I?!"

"Stop being a child!" Tsunade shouted back. "Stop it! Stop it and get out!" She shoved at him roughly. "Just get out!"

Kiba stumbled back out the door, and tripped, falling backwards down the stairs. Well, sort of. Kakuzu caught him before he landed, and Kiba looked up at Tsunade, her eyes wide and horrified.

"I'm sorry," she said, gripping the door tightly. "I didn't... I'm sorry. Please leave."

The door was slammed and Kiba heard it lock. He pushed lightly at Kakuzu to be let go and got back to his feet, slowly walking over to the front door and resting his forehead against it with a sigh. He could hear Tsunade crying on the other side.

"I just wanna see him," he whispered to her, hand closing into a fist against the wooden door. "I just wanna know he's gonna be okay."

"You can't see him."

Her words were punctuated by sobs and Kiba let out another sigh, grinding his forehead against the door. He didn't like this. It had been seven days. Naruto might be sick, but who was too sick to pick up a phone and text someone? That wasn't possible.

He heard shuffling on the other side of the door and took a step back, frowning and wondering if Tsunade had walked away. Then the lock clicked and it opened for Kiba to look up into a face he had not seen for a long time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen it, now that he thought about it. But apparently, it had been a while if the other's words were any indication.

"Wow," Minato said, smiling slightly. "You've... you've grown."

"Yeah," Kiba said awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "That, um... it tends to happen."

And then they stood there. Kiba wondered if his best friend's dad was trying to awkward him away from the house. It was almost working but he forced himself to hold his ground. He shifted his weight a lot though, and inspected Minato.

He'd aged since he'd last seen him. Obviously, like he'd said, that happened, but this was different. It wasn't the normal kind of aging, it was like something had happened that had made him get older in a short space of time. It didn't suit him.

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

Kiba blinked, then realized what he meant. "No. I just wanna see him."

"Me too," Minato whispered, then motioned him into the house.

"Sir, I don't think—"

"Tsunade, if there's one thing I learned from the video I watched last night, it's that Naruto trusts him," Minato said, cutting her off. He paused before moving further, and Kiba turned to see what he was looking at. It was Kakuzu. "You should call the school. Tell them Kiba won't be coming in today."

"Sir?" Kakuzu asked slowly, eyes moving from Minato to Kiba.

"Just trust me. Not today." The blond man turned and continued walking. Kiba glanced at Kakuzu, shrugged in confusion, and followed after him.

They entered his study, and Kiba wondered if maybe the guy was gonna show him Naruto on a camera or something that was installed in his room, but Minato just sat heavily in his chair and covered his face with both hands.

Kiba shifted awkwardly, trying to avoid looking around the room, because it was absolutely littered in pictures of Naruto, and it was kind of freaking him out.

"Um, Mr. Namikaze?" Kiba asked, taking a step forward. "What exactly am I here to look at?"

"You care about my son, don't you, Kiba?"

"Of course I do," he insisted. "He's my best friend."

"You wouldn't do anything to hurt him, would you? Even if you knew you should tell someone, you wouldn't, right?"

The brunet frowned, not liking where this was going. "I don't follow..." he said slowly. "Is... Naruto in some kind of trouble? Did he... I mean, was it him? Did he try and kill himself or something?"

"I think you should see something."

Frowning still, Kiba moved around the desk when he was beckoned and stood beside the other man, watching him pull open Windows Media Player and start a video.

Kiba's head jerked back and his eyes snapped to Minato, but the older man was looking sadly at the screen. He shifted his eyes back to it, wondering if this was some kind of sick joke.

_"Hey dad,"_ Naruto's voice rang out through the speakers. _"So, I survived the belting."_

"The what?" Kiba demanded, interrupting Naruto, but not caring.

"It's better you don't think about it," Minato whispered, motioning the screen. "Just watch."

It was hard to force his gaze back to the screen. His eyes darted to the date, and noticed this was last night, around seven-thirty. But this was a joke, right? Naruto wasn't... why would he be chained to the wall? This was a sick, _sick _joke!

_"—escape, but..."_ Naruto shrugged on the screen and Kiba could feel his stomach turning over. This wasn't real. This wasn't real, no way. _"I took a shower today, too. It was all right. I needed one. I smelled bad."_

"This is a joke, right?" Kiba asked, making a weird sound at the back of his throat. "Tell me this is a joke."

Naruto was speaking again, shifting on the futon he was sitting on. _"It's not so bad here, really."_ That statement was followed by what was obviously a forced smile. _"The one guy's a total prick but, as you can tell by this video, the other's pretty nice. I guess... Just to give you peace of mind, know that I'm not getting beaten and raped daily."_

"Fuck," Kiba said before he turned around and promptly emptied the contents of his stomach into the nearby trashcan. He heard Minato pause the video, and really wished he hadn't. He didn't want to watch it anymore.

He felt a hand rub gently at his back while he coughed before he threw up again, bile burning his throat on its way up. He spat and coughed some more, letting out a few dry heaves before another wave hit him and he threw up more bile.

Gasping for air and shaking with tears prickling the corners of his eyes, he struggled to calm his stomach down, even as Minato continued to rub his back. He shrugged the man's hand off, not wanting him to touch him.

Minato got the message and moved back. Kiba spat again, the stench of his own vomit burning his nose. Wiping his hand across the back of his mouth, he leaned back, resting on his knees. He heard the older man shift behind him, reaching for the mouse.

"Don't," he forced out, feeling his stomach turn over again.

"I just want you to know."

"I don't wanna know," he whispered. "I don't wanna know anything."

He unpaused the video anyway and Kiba clenched his eyes shut, as if it would stop Naruto's voice. But it didn't, and he couldn't bring himself to cover his ears.

_"—I get fed, I get bathroom breaks... I don't know."_ Naruto's pre-recorded voice continued as if nothing had happened. _"It's kinda like home, except a little more boring. Speaking of home, please tell Tsunade not to worry, and that I'm okay, and that I love her. And tell Kiba, if he knows what's going on, that I miss him and hope he's doing okay. If he doesn't know, well... whatever story you told him, tell him I miss him anyway, and I hope he's doing okay. And... yeah. Guess that's it. I'll see you when I see you."_

Kiba shook his head. He heard Minato shift closer and felt his hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away from him. "Don't fucking touch me," he snapped, turning to look at him. "Just... don't."

He knew he had no right. He knew Minato was his father, and Kiba had no right to act like this. But then... in a way, he did. What did _Minato_ know about Naruto, anyway? When had Minato _ever_ showed he cared about him? All this time, all these _years _and he'd been nothing but an invisible bank account.

"This is a joke," Kiba insisted, struggling to his feet. His knees still felt shaky, but he forced himself to move forward, striding to the office door and slamming it open.

"Kiba—" Tsunade reached out for him but he side-stepped her, staring at the ground, and hurried towards the stairs, grabbing the railing and running up them, using the wooden beam as a means to move faster. He was bolting up them within seconds, turning at the landing and racing towards Naruto's room.

He was sick, just like they'd said. They were just fucking with him. Shit like this didn't happen in real life. It happened in movies, and books and TV shows and whatever the fuck else, but not in real life.

"Asshole!" Kiba threw open Naruto's door, eyes darting across to the bed before they moved to the open bathroom door. "Get the fuck out here! This isn't fucking funny!"

Storming into the room, he walked into the bathroom, slamming the door as a means to look behind it, and then searched every inch of it. Opening it again, he stormed past Tsunade, who reached out to touch him, but he avoided it again. He walked to the bed and bent down, looking under it, then went to the closet and yanked it open.

Minato was standing in the doorway, but he ignored him. He just tore through Naruto's room, looking everywhere he could think of, even places Naruto obviously couldn't fit. He just needed to find him. He just needed to know this was a stupid joke and that they were all fucked up for thinking this would be funny.

"Kiba," Tsunade insisted when he'd started tearing the sheets off Naruto's bed. "Kiba, stop. Stop!"

She grabbed his shoulders and yanked him around, shaking him hard. "Kiba, just stop."

"He's here," the brunet insisted, shaking his head and struggling not to let tears spill over. Because he was a guy, and guys didn't fucking cry, especially not over stupid jokes. "This isn't funny, tell him to come out."

"Kiba, stop," she whispered, pulling him into a hug and running her fingers through his hair. "Just take a deep breath, it's gonna be okay. Just stop."

Kiba started gasping, struggling to pull air into his lungs while clutching the back of the woman's shirt, feeling the liquid squeeze itself from the corners of his eyes.

"Breathe," Tsunade ordered, hugging him tighter. "Deep breaths. Calm down."

"I can't," he forced out, struggling to imitate her when she took a few deeps breaths. "I. Can't."

"I don't understand," he heard the woman snap, and at first, he thought she was talking to him, but then he understood why she sounded so angry. "Why did you tell him?!"


	7. Sasuke's Punishment

**Disclaimer: My brain hurts too much to even pretend to be witty |D Kishimoto Masashi owns them all, even Kiba, no matter how hard I try and steal him. Also, Ice Station is (c) Matthew Reilly and is still the most amazing book known to man.  
**

* * *

**September 21st, 08:45**

Tsunade was furious. No, she was more than furious, she was whatever would be classed above furious. She was so angry, she'd almost fallen down the stairs she'd been stomping so hard.

It had taken her almost half an hour to calm Kiba down, and even then, all that had done was make him go from a sobbing mess to a sightless zombie. He'd sat down on Naruto's bed, and had stared at the floor. And that was how Tsunade had left him, Shizune having come up to relieve her so that the older woman could go tear a strip out of her employer.

Slamming into the office, she could hear Naruto's voice briefly before Minato paused the video, the man looking as though he'd aged twenty years in one hour.

"How could you do that?" she demanded, bracing herself on his desk and leaning forward. "Do you even understand what you've done? Wasn't it bad enough that you and I felt this pain, you had to go and tell a _child_?!"

"Kiba can handle it," Minato insisted in a low voice.

"You call vomiting and breaking down 'handling it,' Minato?" she screamed, slamming one fist down on the desk. "Do you even know how much Naruto means to him?!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Minato insisted, looking up at her with haunted blue eyes. "He would have caused problems. People would have come. It was tell him or risk him drawing attention."

"We could have told him Naruto was gone!" Tsunade insisted. "That you sent him away to a doctor! You could have _lied_!"

"You think I don't know how this feels?!" Minato shouted, leaping to his feet and slamming both hands onto the desk. "You think I don't know what he's thinking?!"

"So that's it?" Tsunade asked, staring at Minato, horrified. "You just told him because you want someone to suffer as much as you are?" She let out a dark laugh. "Wasn't I enough? Or is Kiba just going to be a temporary replacement for you?"

"You're out of line," Minato insisted.

"No," Tsunade snapped, glaring at him. "_You _were out of line by telling him. What were you thinking?" she shook her head and covered her face with both hands, letting out a slow breath. "Did you just think that Kiba was going to shrug it off and continue on as if nothing had happened?"

"Of course not," Minato whispered. "I knew it would hurt him, I knew he would react badly—"

"Then why did you tell him?" Tsunade demanded.

"Because I needed _someone _to believe that I actually gave a shit about my son!" Minato yelled at her before collapsing in his chair and covering his face with both hands. "I needed him to have proof that I cared when he gets back, and you're not good enough." He looked up at her. "You always defend me, Tsunade. You always make excuses. He won't believe you. But he'll believe Kiba."

"You put him through this because you want to use him?" she whispered, shaking her head and moving back towards the door. "I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"Where are you going?" he asked, standing.

"To go comfort someone who clearly needs it more than you do," she spat back before slamming his office door.

She couldn't believe what he'd just said to her. She couldn't believe that Kiba was now going to be no better than she was just because Minato had needed proof that he cared. Resisting the urge to go back to the office and beat the crap out of the other man, Tsunade stormed back up the stairs and into Naruto's room, finding Kiba hadn't moved.

Letting out a small sigh, she moved over to him and sat down next to him on the bed, Shizune leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Tsunade reached up and buried her hands in dark locks, pulling Kiba's head over so it was resting on her shoulder. He stayed like that once her hand moved to rub at his back.

"He'll be all right," she whispered, resting her cheek on his head. "You know Naruto, he's a tough kid. He'll get through this and when he's back, he'll milk our pity for all it's worth," she said, forcing out a chuckle.

"It's my fault," Kiba whispered.

"Kiba," she insisted, laughing for real this time. "How could this possibly be your fault?"

"Because, he said he wished something important to his dad ceased to exist... and I told him to be careful what he wished for. I basically jinxed what he said."

"That... is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," Tsunade insisted, letting out a small laugh. "Kiba, this is not your fault. This is nobody's fault. This is all related to greed. You couldn't have stopped it, you couldn't have predicted it... Just make sure you stay together so that when he comes back, you can beat him up."

"Beat him up?" Kiba turned his head to look up at Tsunade, confused.

"Yes. Beat him up. For scaring us like this. I can't punch him, so you'll have to do it for me." She smiled down at the brunet, and he forced a smile back.

Letting out another sigh, she kissed the top of his head and stood, pulling him to his feet. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat, then I should send you home."

"Tsunade," Kiba spoke, his voice quiet.

She turned to look at him since she'd been heading for the door.

"I'm not... I mean, I shouldn't tell anyone about this, right? This is a secret, right?"

"Yes, it is," she replied. "We're trying to make this quick and painless." She moved back to Kiba and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, Kiba. He'll be back to us in no time, good as new."

* * *

**September 21st, 09:00**

"The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round, all through the town," Naruto sang, bobbing his head slightly from side to side. He didn't know the words to the next verse, so when he reached the end, he started singing the same one again. He'd been at it for almost an hour, now, and he knew he was going to drive himself insane soon if nobody came down to provide him with some level of entertainment.

"What are you, a kid now?"

"Thank God!" Naruto exclaimed, looking in the general direction of the stairs, since he could no longer see again, thanks to the plaster mask. "I swear, one more cycle of that song and I was going to ask Ayuu to shoot me!"

"Don't tempt him like that," Essyu insisted with a sigh, a sound drifting towards Naruto suggesting he'd set a plate down on his usual chair. "Bathroom?"

"Nah, I'm good for now." He held his hands out. "Food, though, I could go for."

A snort met his ears and he heard the plate scrape against the wood before it was pressed in his hands. "It's scrambled eggs and toast."

"Score, thanks." He grinned brightly at the other and picked up his utensil, feeling for the eggs and then shovelling them into his mouth.

He frowned slightly when he pulled the spoon from between his lips, chewing. "Did you give me a spoon? For eggs?"

"Considering what happened the last time I gave you a fork, can you blame me?" Essyu asked dryly.

Now that he thought about it, Naruto realized all of his meals had come equipped with spoons since the escape attempt. He supposed that based on the nature of the food, he'd never really noticed, because all the meals were possible to eat with a spoon. Eggs, not so much.

"I guess not." Naruto just shrugged and continued to eat. It didn't bother him. Realistically, he understood. He just hadn't really thought about it. And considering how easygoing Essyu had been yesterday, it was weird that he'd let Naruto take a shower, unshackled and unmasked, and not worry, but holy shit! Look out with those forks!

He chuckled to himself, ignoring the inquisitive grunt he received from the other. Picking up his toast, he bit into it and chewed happily, enjoying the food and the company, regardless of the fact that Essyu was ridiculously quiet.

"Is Ayuu home?" the blond inquired, returning to spooning eggs into his mouth.

He received no reply.

"What I mean is, I was wondering if you would be willing to read some more of _Ice Station _to me today. I know you won't if Ayuu's home so I was just curious." He shrugged. "But in retrospect, I know why you didn't answer."

"He's home," Essyu affirmed. "He's gotten permission from his boss to work from home. He told them I had mono."

"That's cool of his boss," Naruto said, nodding. "Sucks though. I won't ever get to talk to you now, and you'll come down to me singing more kid songs." He snorted.

Essyu was quiet the rest of his meal, which kind of made him a little lonely, but he tried not to let it get him down. When he handed his plate back, as well as the glass of milk he hadn't known he'd had until he'd almost knocked it over, he felt Essyu take it, and then something was placed into his hand.

Frowning, he pressed down on the edges and then grinned when he heard a crackle. "Walkie-talkie?"

"I can read to you from my room," Essyu murmured quietly. "Ayuu doesn't need to know."

"Thanks." Naruto clutched it to himself. "Seriously, you're a lifesaver."

He heard the other head for the stairs and cocked his head slightly.

"Hey, Essyu?"

"What?"

"Are you good looking?"

Silence met his ears.

"What I mean is like... I don't know, you're really nice, and I'm just curious about whether or not you're good looking. Most assholes are attractive, which is why I picture Ayuu as like... this tall, handsome, god-like being thing. Then, the other end of the scale, is the nice guys who look like ass. You're so nice I'm trying not to picture you looking like my butt." He grinned.

That comment earned him a snort. "I'm... all right, I suppose."

"Oh, you're hot," Naruto said with a grin. "You're fuckin' _smokin_! You're just trying not to make me think you're vain."

Another snort. "Fine, I'm very attractive. I can't be vain if it's true. I've been coveted my entire life."

"Oh, coveted. Fancy." Naruto grinned, then it faltered. "Actually, I'm not even sure I know what that means."

Essyu actually chuckled at that. "I'll read you the dictionary some time."

"Oh God, please don't!" Naruto insisted, hearing the other continuing up the stairs. "Let me retain my stupidity!"

"You can't be stupid if you're third in your class, Naruto," the other called down the stairs before the door shut.

The blond frowned. "Huh... How did he know that?"

Though ironically, third in his class or not, Naruto _still _wasn't sure he knew what coveted meant.

* * *

**September 21st, 15:07**

_"Wait..."_ Naruto's voice said slowly across the staticky piece of shit Sasuke had bought at Wal-Mart. _"So he was evil all along? I mean, he was gonna __**kill**__ the Scarecrow even after Scarecrow tried to save him?!"_

"Haven't you been listening, that was his job, moron," Sasuke said with a smirk, shifting slightly so he was more comfortable lying on his stomach on his bed, his favourite book open in front of him. "I kinda like to think he wishes it hadn't come to that. I think he admired Scarecrow a lot."

_"Obviously not enough if the only way for Scarecrow to save himself was to shove a drill into the asshole's head."_

"That's my favourite part," Sasuke admitted with a smirk. "It's so gutsy on Matthew Reilly's part. He just goes for it, and describes it all."

Silence from Naruto's end for a few seconds. And then, _"Should I be worried? I'm not gonna wake up with you standing over me with a hand-drill, am I?"_

Sasuke snorted, rolling his eyes and reaching out for the cigarette burning away in the ashtray on his nightstand. "No, retard, I'm not gonna drill you," he insisted, bringing the cigarette to his lips and inhaling.

Naruto snickered. _"You should've said 'screw you,' instead. Double entendre, much funnier."_

Sasuke listened to the blond snicker to himself for a few seconds before he released the button. Letting the smoke slowly out of his lungs, he waited to see if Naruto would say anything else, but he didn't.

Licking his lips, he grit his teeth and hit the talk button. "It was me."

He let his finger off it instantly, as if trying to convince himself he hadn't admitted it. He had, and he'd wanted to, but it was easier to pretend he hadn't.

_"It was you what?"_

Inhaling from his cigarette again, he pressed down on the button, exhaling slowly. "Yesterday. It wasn't Ayuu, it was me. I never went to the store, I made it all up. Ayuu left for work and I went downstairs."

Silence again. He inhaled on his cigarette, pulling as much smoke into his lungs as he could before exhaling again, waiting. And waiting. Naruto didn't say anything. He hadn't expected him to. He imagined the other must've felt similarly to how he had when the blond had tried to escape. Betrayed, angry, confused. That was good, though. He kind of needed Naruto to hate him.

Seriously? What kind of moron fell for the guy chained up in his basement? That was totally fucked up!

Licking his lips and letting out a slow breath, he hit the talk button again. "You were wrong. I'm not the ugly nice kid."

Silence for a few seconds, and then, _"You're nic__**er**__."_

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, but I'm not Canada."

_"Canada?"_ Naruto asked, confused, while Sasuke took the time to inhale one last time on his cigarette before putting it out. _"What the fuck does Canada have to do with anything?"_

"You know, people always talk about the world and its people, and I've always been told everyone's nice to Canada because no one wants to punch the retarded fat kid."

A bark of laughter. _"Dude, are you calling Canada a retarded fat kid?"_ More laughter. _"That's messed up."_

Sasuke smirked and rolled onto his back on the futon, letting out his own short laugh. "Well, they _are _kinda weird. I don't get their fascination with watching fully clothed men slide back and forth on an ice rink with a stick, chasing a tiny little black thing that's not even a ball."

_"What, now you're gonna diss hockey?"_ Naruto demanded before laughing harder. _"You're all kinds of messed up. And Canada's not the retarded fat kid. Canada's the loner no one pays attention to. Get it right."_

"Oh, right. My bad." Sasuke snorted.

_"Did you actually just say 'my bad'? I think I'm rubbing off on you." _A grin was evident in Naruto's voice.

_I'd like it better if you actually were, _the raven thought, but at least he'd had the foresight to say it in his head.

Another silence then, Sasuke not sure what to say, since Naruto had essentially just moved away from the topic. He ended up not being done with it though because the walkie-talkie crackled briefly and he spoke again.

_"Why?"_

"Why what?" he grunted out, scratching at his stomach.

_"Why did you do that yesterday?"_

"I wanted to," he admitted. What was he going to do, lie? "You're hot."

He didn't know what he'd expected to hear, but he certainly hadn't anticipated hearing the walkie-talkie get thrown angrily across the basement. Frowning, he sat up, looking at his bedroom door in confusion.

The basement door opened and he cursed, knowing Itachi had gone to investigate the noise. Scrambling to his feet and letting the walkie-talkie fall onto the futon, he raced into the kitchen and skid slightly on the tile before rounding the bend to hurry down the basement steps.

Itachi was practically on top of Naruto, pushing him against the wall and digging the barrel of his gun into the bottom of his chin.

"Don't make me ask you again," Itachi said, his voice low and dangerous.

"It was me," Sasuke insisted. "The noise was me."

"I'm not stupid, Essyu," he insisted, turning to glare at him. "And I'm not deaf. I know you two have been talking. I want to know what the noise was."

Naruto's teeth were grit and Sasuke noticed that Itachi was actually kneeling on the blond's hands so that he couldn't use them to push him off.

"It was the walkie-talkie," Naruto grit out, letting out a grunt when the barrel forced his chin higher.

"What?"

"I tossed the walkie-talkie across the basement."

"Why?"

"Because your brother pissed me off."

Sasuke's head snapped back and he took an unconscious step backwards, Itachi's head slowly turning to look at him, dark eyes burning into his own. How did Naruto know that? How could the blond have possibly known that?!

"We'll finish this later," he hissed at Naruto, then he was on his feet, striding over to Sasuke.

The raven took another step back but Itachi grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him towards the stairs, hauling him up them forcibly and then throwing him violently into the kitchen table once they'd reached the landing, slamming the basement door shut.

"You told him we were brothers?"

"I didn't tell him anything!" Sasuke snapped back, trying not to betray how scared he was. He knew Itachi far better than Naruto did. He was a little worried for himself right now.

"You're talking to him too much, then, if he can deduce things like that on his own," Itachi said, placing the gun down on the counter.

Sasuke's eyes shifted to the other's waist when his brother's hands moved towards his belt buckle.

_No, please, not now,_ his brain begged. _Not now, I've avoided it for years, not again..._

"He's third in his class, he's smart, what did you expect?" Sasuke insisted, taking another unconscious step back. "He sees how we act when we're together, it's not like it's hard to deduce," he snapped.

The belt was being pulled through the loops.

"And he saw our eyes for a while, we have the same eyes, it's not that hard to figure out!"

"Turn around."

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "I didn't say anything."

"Turn. Around."

The younger Uchiha let a puff of air escape his lips before he glared hatefully at his brother and tugged at the collar of his shirt, wrenching it off and hurling it angrily across the room. He then kicked a chair out of his way, spun around, and braced himself against the wall, arms extended, hands flat against the drywall.

Gritting his teeth painfully, he heard Itachi move forward.

"Count them."

Pain exploded across his back and he let out a sharp exhale. "One," he forced out.

Another slap of leather, and he forced himself to inhale. "Two."

The last time he'd gotten belted, he'd earned himself seventy-five. He was kind of hoping Itachi would have restarted his meter so he only got the fifteen, considering it had been so long since he'd last been belted.

No dice. He passed out at eighty.

At least his pride was intact, though, because not once did he let a sound escape his lips unless it was a number.

* * *

**September 21st, 17:50**

Naruto was really starting to wish he hadn't thrown the walkie-talkie away because he was beginning to really need to go to the bathroom, and with Ayuu home, he really didn't think yelling up the stairs was a good idea.

He hadn't meant to get that angry about what Essyu had said, but it only furthered his worry about how humanity was superficial. They liked Naruto because he was rich. They liked Naruto because he was hot.

Why couldn't just one fucking person like Naruto because he was Naruto?

Kiba didn't count, he would never love him _that _way, and even if he did, Naruto would never want to jeopardize their friendship.

But he wanted someone. He did. Man, woman, rich, poor, hot, ugly, he didn't care. Just one fucking person who wanted _him _for him.

Letting out a sigh, he rested his forehead on his knees, trying to listen to the two upstairs. He didn't know what had happened but he knew it hadn't been good. He still wasn't entirely sure what had set them both off.

He'd gone back over his words multiple times, and could not figure out why him saying "your partner pissed me off" would set them both off like that. Ayuu had been pissed, and Essyu had sounded almost scared.

Naruto didn't like knowing he'd done something to make Ayuu pissed off at his brother.

The blond's head shot up.

"Fuck!"

He hadn't said _partner_, he'd said _brother_!

_Shit! I didn't mean to say that!_

Naruto would bet his balls that Ayuu thought Essyu had told him that. Shit, not good. That meant he was going to be stuck with Ayuu because God knew the fucker wouldn't trust his brother to keep his mouth shut.

"Great. Good fucking job," he groused to himself.

He heard the door open and his head shot up. Silence followed, which he could only assume meant Ayuu was coming down the stairs. He jumped when he felt a hand close around his wrist and yelped when he was wrenched forward.

"You're going to the bathroom."

Had Naruto not actually needed to go, he would have had a comeback for that.

Ayuu undid his cuffs, but only the ones on his wrists. He kept the ankle ones in place and shoved Naruto towards the bathroom. The blond ended up slamming into a wall because Ayuu hadn't bothered to redirect him.

Knowing his glare would be lost on the other, he just growled, found the door to the bathroom after running his fingers along the wall, and slammed into it. He half-expected Ayuu to tell him not to close the door, but he didn't. Naruto just did his business as quickly as possible because he didn't trust Ayuu like he did Essyu.

Once he was done and his hands were washed, he opened the door and made his way blindly back in the general direction of the futon. When he was close, he assumed, Ayuu grabbed his arm again and threw him back onto the mattress, which definitely wasn't thick enough for the action not to hurt.

Wincing when the cuffs were snapped back into place, the left one pinching skin, a tuppaware container was thrust into his hand. He waited for the utensil, wondering if he would even get one, and was handed it just as roughly.

"Eat. There's water at your feet."

Naruto took a bite of the mystery food—Essyu always told him what it was—and winced slightly. It was tuna pasta. He was willing to bet Ayuu had found the only can in the house just for him. Still, at least tuna he could tolerate, so he ate without complaint, trying to make sure he was decently nourished before speaking. Considering the type of person Ayuu was, he was certain once he spoke, the food would be gone.

Once he was decently satisfied, he gulped some water and licked his lips. "Where's Essyu?"

"Nursing his wounds."

Naruto wasn't sure how to take that. He honestly hadn't even expected a reply, and really wasn't sure how literal that statement was supposed to be.

"What did you do to him?"

His answer was the food being wrenched from his hands. Well, at least he could predict the guy.

"Essyu didn't tell me, you know," he called after Ayuu, knowing he was retreating for the stairs. "You did. With how you treat him."

Silence followed, and he assumed Ayuu had gone back upstairs, until he felt the gun under his chin again. He grunted, splaying his hands on the wall behind him and lifting his weight slightly, the force of the gun making it hard to swallow.

"Do not patronize me."

"I'm telling you the truth," Naruto spat. "If you wanna be mad at someone, be mad at yourself. Essyu never said or implied anything. The way you talk to him and treat him is what made me figure it out. And your reaction today only confirmed it. You could've been smarter and not reacted."

He could feel the barrel shaking against the underside of his chin and knew it was taking everything the other had not to shoot him. For a second, he got legitimately worried, but then Ayuu pulled away and stomped up the stairs, door slamming angrily behind him.

Naruto felt the other wasn't as calm as he sometimes pretended to be. And whatever he'd done to Essyu, he hoped it was easily fixable. He really didn't wanna get stuck with Ayuu for the rest of his stay.

* * *

**September 22nd, 02:43**

When consciousness began to return, Sasuke wished it would've done so as per usual, with the gradual nudges towards wakefulness. Not the punch to the face he got when the agony in his back made itself known and forced his entire body to tense. Which was really a bad idea since it only managed to make it hurt even more.

Gritting his teeth, he tried not to be a pussy considering Naruto had acted all right after his belting, but then he had to remind himself the blond had only gotten fifteen, and he'd gotten ninety.

Despite his having passed out at eighty, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that his brother had finished up, even while he lay bleeding and unconscious on the floor. It was something Itachi was sick enough to do.

Forcing himself to roll onto his side, letting out sharp breaths and trying to ignore the pain, he somehow managed to get himself to his feet, teeth grit and hands fisting the sides of his jeans. At least Itachi had been nice enough to get him into bed, even if he hadn't bothered to remove his pants.

Walking slowly towards the bathroom, the raven pushed open the door and turned on the light. Wincing, he moved in front of the mirror and turned around, then craned his neck as much as he could without the pain being unbearable and glanced at his back.

"Shit," he whispered. Skin had broken in numerous places, and his back was just one huge mess of red. The hem of his jeans was stained with blood and he looked away, breathing hard and trying to diminish the pain.

Grabbing some advil, he downed four of them and then moved slowly into the kitchen. He didn't know why he felt compelled to give a shit about Naruto, considering it was his fault this had happened, but he felt like Itachi was just trying to make sure they weren't friends—well, as friendly as they could be in this situation—and if there was one thing Sasuke didn't take, it was Itachi trying to dictate his life.

Itachi didn't want them to be friends? Sasuke would do all in his power to ensure they were.

Opening the basement door, he let out a slow breath and then stepped down. The shift in his back made agony seer up his spine, and he stood unmovingly at the top of the stairs for a long while before finally forcing himself down another step. The process had taken a lot longer than he felt it should have, but he didn't even remember what it had been like for him the last time, at seventy-five lashes. He remembered it had hurt, but this felt even worse.

He supposed it always did feel worse, considering he got more each time he did something wrong.

Once he finally reached the bottom, he stood there for a few seconds, inhaling and exhaling loudly in an attempt to stop himself from screaming in agony. Then, he reached over and turned on one of the lights in the basement, knowing Naruto was probably asleep, and let his eyes scan the end of the room. He found what he was looking for and made his way slowly towards it.

Bending down to pick up the walkie-talkie had been challenging, but he'd somehow managed it. He inspected it for damages, and hit the talk button to ensure it still worked, then turned and headed towards Naruto. He set it down beside his head, figuring he'd let him sleep for now, and started to stand so he could go back upstairs, though he knew he'd never get back to sleep.

"Essyu?"

He turned back to Naruto when the other's groggy voice met his ears, the blond sitting up with a groan.

"Essyu? Is that you?"

"Yeah," he said, his own voice sounding hoarse, despite his not having screamed earlier. He figured it was from trying _not _to scream. "Sorry I woke you."

"What happened?" Naruto demanded, reaching out blindly with one hand and touching Sasuke's arm.

The raven just stared at the fingers, wondering what Naruto thought he could possibly be doing. Why was he even touching him?

"Why do you care?"

"I care because it's my fault," Naruto insisted, a snap entering his tone. "I didn't mean for you to get in trouble, but I know something bad happened."

"Same thing that happened to you. I'm used to it."

"Oh," was the blond's reply. He hesitated. "Um, if you want... I mean, if Ayuu didn't help you out, if you wanna bring some stuff down and put on a mask, and take mine off, I can clean it up for you." He half-smiled. "You did it for me, and your back's not the easiest place to reach."

Sasuke was about to say no thanks to that, because how weird would that be? Having his captor clean off his injuries? That was fucking weird.

But then he thought about how he knew Itachi wouldn't do it, and then got worried that one of them would get infected, because one of them had the last time since he hadn't been able to reach it, and then he'd been sent to the hospital and all these unnecessary complications arose and...

"Okay," he muttered, but he really wasn't happy about it.

"I'll be here," Naruto joked lightly, sitting up more and crossing his legs so he was seated more comfortably on the futon.

Sasuke snorted and turned to head back for the stairs, walking slowly. When he reached the bottom, the thought of climbing them and then coming back down was almost enough for him to change his mind. But he needed his back cleaned and he was going to have to go back to normal the following day anyway, regardless of how he felt, so might as well get used to it now.

Gritting his teeth, he took the first step, and gripped the railing tightly when pain shot down his spine. He took a second to let the feeling diminish a bit, then took the next one, continuing the arduous task of climbing up the stairs.

"Hey, Essyu?"

"What?" he snapped, much more harshly than he'd intended.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but... you didn't get hit fifteen times, did you?"

Sasuke considered not answering, but then felt it would probably be best if he did. It would prove to Naruto that Itachi wasn't kidding when he said he'd up the number each time. If Naruto knew his brother would do this to _him_, he'd probably feel more inclined to always listen from now on.

"Ninety," Sasuke whispered.

"Ninety?!" the blond exploded before slamming both hands over his mouth, as if not having meant to be so loud.

Sasuke just grit his teeth and hoped Itachi hadn't heard, moving up one more step.

"You're joking, right? There's no way! Your back... and I mean like... shit, his _arm_!"

"He stopped at thirty-four and seventy-three," Sasuke muttered. "Because his arm did start to hurt. I passed out at eighty, but I know he gave me the full ninety."

"Jesus," Naruto breathed. "Fuck. I mean, I figured it was bad with how slow you're being with getting up the stairs, but fucking ninety? Christ, Essyu, I'm so sorry."

Sasuke didn't say anything to that, mostly because he wasn't sure what would be appropriate to say, so he just continued on his way up the stairs.

* * *

**September 22nd, 03:12**

Naruto hadn't really known what to expect once Essyu finally made his way back downstairs. He was trying to psych himself up for the other's back because while he'd seen some sick shit in movies, this wasn't a movie, and he knew that what had happened had been his fault. Because of his slip-up.

Ayuu thought that Essyu had told him about them being brothers, and had punished him, and it was all Naruto's fault. Essyu hadn't said shit, but he knew he could tell Ayuu that as much as he wanted, the motherfucker would never believe him.

When the plaster mask was removed, Naruto rubbed at his eyes, removing the sleep from the corners before looking up at Essyu. The other handed him a first aid kit, and then spent close to five minutes trying to sit down on the edge of the futon. Naruto could hear him inhaling and exhaling sharply, but he didn't say anything.

Considering he'd been acting that way for fifteen hits, he was kind of amazed that Essyu could fucking move at _all_!

His back was a complete mess, and Naruto was afraid to even do anything. He couldn't see the wounds that well beneath the coating of blood, and just the smell of it was making him feel a little bit sick. Not that he was squeamish or anything, but there's a big difference between slicing off your thumb and seeing someone's back covered in blood.

"This is, um..." He licked his lips, eyes moving to the back of Essyu's head, looking at the ski-mask he was wearing. "This is really gonna hurt."

"I know," was the other's reply. "There's a wet cloth in the kit for you, too. Might wanna use that first."

Naruto turned to open it, feeling his own wounds twinge slightly, as if the sight of Essyu's reminded him of his own injuries, but he completely ignored them. He couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of pain Essyu must be in. He pulled the cloth out and wished he'd had the foresight to ask for a bowl of water or something to dunk it in, but he wasn't going to make the other stand up after it had taken him so long to sit down, so he just did the best he could, trying to clear away as much blood as possible without touching his skin too much. It was a hard task.

Once he felt it was as blood-free as it was going to get, he started to grab a cotton ball, then just stared at the rubbing alcohol, turning to look at Essyu's back. "Um... okay this is gonna be hard and I just... I can't help you like this." He winced. "I think you need to shower, at least. There's still too much blood."

He knew the last thing Essyu wanted to do was stand up, but somehow, he grunted an affirmative and climbed to his feet, the action taking close to two minutes. He'd gotten up much faster than he'd sat down.

The blond saw the other's head turn towards the stairs, then to his bathroom, then the stairs again before turning to look at Naruto. The captive merely held up his hands, waving them slightly, indicating he was wearing shackles. If Essyu went to shower in his bathroom, it wasn't like Naruto was going to sneak in on him. Or even race up the stairs.

"Give me the kit," Essyu ordered, holding out his hand.

Naruto reached for it and handed it up to him, the other moving slowly across the room and setting it down on the chair he usually occupied. Then he reached down and unbuttoned his jeans.

The blond figured he'd look away once the boxers started coming off only Essyu wasn't wearing any, so once the jeans fell from his hips, Naruto got quite an eyeful and tried to look anywhere but at Essyu, wishing for the first time since arriving that he had the mask on.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"No," Naruto insisted. "It's just not polite to stare at another dude's junk." It was true, especially since he didn't really discriminate. He found both the male and female form attractive, and he really didn't want to sit there and stare at Essyu's dick.

The other moved across the basement and disappeared into the bathroom, the door shutting quietly behind him. Naruto stared at the jeans lying on the floor while listening to the water turn on.

"Take a cold one," he called in afterthought, since hot water would most likely just make the still-open wounds bleed more.

He didn't know if Essyu had heard him, but he just leaned back against the wall, ignoring the slight twinge from his own back. After seeing the other's, he didn't think he'd ever complain about pain again. He definitely didn't want to piss Ayuu off to that degree.

Though he'd admit, he was somewhat shocked Essyu had actually taken him up on the offer, but he supposed if Ayuu wasn't gonna do it, he needed _someone_. And while Essyu taking away the kit as if worried Naruto would use something in it to escape kind of upset him a little, he understood at the same time. And really, at this point, he just hoped the other was okay.

"He's got a nice body though," he mused aloud to himself, shrugging. "I mean, he's not bad."

Even though all he'd seen was the other's body, he was sure that girls lined up around the corner for him. Or... maybe boys?

That was when he remembered why he'd thrown away the walkie-talkie—which he'd noticed was back when Essyu had returned with the kit and removed his mask. Essyu had tried to kiss him, because he thought he was hot. Did that mean Essyu was gay, or was he just like Naruto? Didn't discriminate?

"Well, great, now I feel like an ass," he muttered to himself, since he'd just been thinking about how hot Essyu's body was. Which made him a hypocrite for suddenly wanting the other to kiss him again. Because he'd gotten mad at Essyu for calling _him _hot.

Letting out a sigh and slamming his head back against the wall, his eyes shifted to the bathroom door when the water shut off. A few minutes passed, and then Essyu emerged wearing his ski-mask again, and a towel around his waist. He went to get the kit, handing it to Naruto, and sat down in front of the blond much quicker this time. When Naruto reached out to touch his skin, he realized it was because it was ice cold, so his wounds were probably numb enough that they hurt a bit less.

"Better?"

"Yeah, much." Naruto pulled out a cotton ball and poured the disinfectant on it. "This is gonna hurt."

"I know," the other said again.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He was just trying to warn him, but if that was how he was gonna be, then fine.

He started to gently dab at the wounds, hearing the other inhale sharply on occasion. After a while, it stopped, and Essyu just clenched his fists while Naruto worked. It was a slow process, but the blond just wanted to make sure he'd thoroughly cleaned everything so nothing would get infected. Then he grabbed some gauze and paused, trying to establish how to do this.

"Should I just use an entire roll and just wrap you up completely?" he asked with a frown.

Essyu was silent for a second before grunting out a, "Sure," and slowly stood.

Naruto did as well, placing the end right under the other's armpit, and then reaching around him once he'd brought a strip across his back, grabbing the gauze and wrapping it around his front before continuing around the back. Over and over he did this, covering the other's back with the gauze until the roll ran out halfway through his cycle back up towards his neck. He used medical tape to keep it in place and sat back down on the futon, offering Essyu a smile.

"Good as new."

A snort left the other's throat and he moved to gather everything up, moving slowly still, but not as much as before. Naruto felt it was him probably trying to regain some of his dignity, though he'd never lost any in the captive's eyes.

"Thanks. Sorry I woke you. You can go back to sleep."

"I'm good," Naruto insisted, pulling one of his legs to tuck it up underneath the other so he was sitting cross-legged again. "And I'm seriously sorry about what Ayuu did. That was uncalled for."

"He thought I told you."

"He told me more than you did," Naruto insisted with a snort. "The way he acts doesn't help, but the fact that he reacted to it was the biggest giveaway. But," he shrugged, "whatever. What's done is done. Though I'll understand if you don't wanna talk anymore."

"Ayuu can bite me," Essyu insisted, wincing while taking a seat in his usual chair, but not leaning back. He instead leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "I like talking to you."

Naruto beamed at him. "I like talking to you, too! You're really cool."

"For a kidnapper."

"Nah," the blond insisted, waving one hand. "You're cool period."

Another snort. And then, "Why did you toss the walkie-talkie away?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked.

"Earlier. When we were talking, you threw it away because you got pissed off. Why?"

Naruto puffed out his cheeks at the question, not wanting to answer it, but he sighed explosively, like it was a huge inconvenience to talk about it, and rubbed the back of his head. "I just get pissed off when people say they like me because I'm hot, rich, or both." He huffed slightly, crossing his arms. "I tell Kiba that all the time."

"You think I only want you because you're hot?"

The blond cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I never said you wanted me, but if I had, you're actually the one who said you tried to kiss me because I'm hot."

Another snort. "Touche. Well, wanting you aside, we'll ignore that fact for the moment," Essyu began.

_Fact?_ Naruto thought with a frown. _Wait, does he actually want me then? _A somewhat unsettling and yet intriguing thought.

"But it's not just because you're hot." Essyu was obviously smirking behind his mask. "Though that does help. I'll admit, most of my attraction is based on your looks, but your personality's not half bad, either. When your mouth's shut, anyway."

Naruto flipped him off, but couldn't help the grin spreading across his face. "You're an asshole."

"That's okay. At least I'm not a dumbass."

The blond laughed, finding he once again felt that, had they met under different circumstances, he and Essyu probably would've been really good friends.


	8. Kiba's Favour

**A/N: I know, I suck, I'm sorry! Been doing a lot of overtime at work, makes for mushy brain matter |D  
**

**Disclaimer: I tried to pull a Trojan War on Kishimoto and hide myself inside a giant present, except I found out he doesn't bring those into his house and has a warehouse in the middle of nowhere to stash all his presents in. Needless to say, the walk home was long |D  
**

**Disclaimer 2: Scarecrow/Area Seven/Matthew Reilly (c) Matthew Reilly, Harry Potter (c) J.K. Rowling, Star Wars/Luke Skywalker (c) George Lucas/Disney (that is so weird to type |D), Stephen King (c) Stephen King :P  
**

* * *

**September 22nd, 10:42**

Itachi wasn't sure whether to be confused or angry when he went to check on Sasuke and found his bed empty. It didn't take a genius to know where he was, and the older Uchiha slammed open the basement door, the laughter below having died instantly at the sound.

"Essyu. Come upstairs."

"It'll take me a minute."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Upstairs. _Now_."

"I never said I wasn't coming, I said it would take me a minute," his brother snapped.

Scowling, Itachi started down the stairs and saw Sasuke halfway towards him. He was walking slowly, shuffling his feet almost, and the older Uchiha noticed both a mask and the first aid kit beside the chair his brother usually occupied.

He got a glare from Sasuke when the other passed him and slowly made his way up the stairs. Itachi glanced at Naruto to make sure he was still chained and blindfolded and then followed behind the other.

It was a long, slow process up the stairs, but Itachi didn't say anything. He was an asshole, and he knew it, but he saw no satisfaction in rubbing it in. So he just followed along silently and closed the door at the landing once he was through it.

"You haven't learned your lesson?" he inquired.

"I didn't tell him anything," Sasuke insisted, gritting his teeth while taking a seat at the table. "You just assumed. I'm not going to stop talking to him just because you're an asshole."

The older Uchiha didn't respond to that. He just turned and opened the cupboard to grab a bowl and some cereal, hearing the other flick his lighter, obviously lighting himself a cigarette.

"How's your back? Do you need help cleaning it?" Itachi asked mostly because he realized a bit too late last night that he needed Sasuke, and having the other in pain like this was actually a bad idea considering they were holding someone hostage. He'd allowed his rage to take over, and now he was a little uncomfortable with the knowledge that his brother wasn't in top form.

"Naruto cleaned it."

That stupid name again. Itachi was getting very tired of hearing it. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. He knew his brother didn't approve of what they were doing, but he'd felt after the escape attempt, the younger Uchiha would realize they weren't friends. Apparently that was too much to ask for. No wonder he was the genius, his brother was clearly a moron.

"Has he been fed?"

"No."

"Feed him."

"I'm not your hired help," was the snapped reply.

Itachi smirked and turned around, now having filled up a bowl with milk and cereal, holding it in his hand and spooning a bite into his mouth. He slowly surveyed his brother while he chewed, taking his time to answer, and enjoying the way Sasuke shifted his weight uncomfortably while trying to force himself not to look away. He finally did and Itachi's smirk widened before he swallowed.

"I'm not going to feed him. If you don't, I guess he'll just starve."

With those final words, he headed into his bedroom so he could get started on some work, as well as trying to think of the next video, since he would need to have it done sooner rather than later.

* * *

**September 22nd, 11:47**

Naruto bobbed his head slightly from side to side, singing a silent song in his head and holding the walkie-talkie in his free hand, waiting for Essyu to reply. He hadn't realized the other had brought it back over and when Essyu had spoken, he'd leapt almost high enough to hit the ceiling. But then again, he was glad to have it back because it meant entertainment without Essyu having to injure himself walking up and down the stairs.

Though the blond was really needing food sometime soon, considering he'd been up since three in the morning and he still hadn't eaten. He knew that was what Essyu was doing, but his injuries were making him slower than usual. Not that Naruto was complaining, he felt for the guy, he was just also really, really hungry.

_"I don't know,"_ the other's voice finally said through the static of the walkie-talkie. _"I never really thought about it. My life was dictated for me when I was younger until my parents died. Then I didn't have the luxury of choosing what I wanted to do. Dropped out of high school, remember?"_

Naruto pressed his lips together, finger hovering over the talk button before he brought the walkie-talkie to his lips and pressed it. "Well, if nothing else good comes out of all this, I'll at least feel better knowing you're going back to school."

A snort was heard from the other end. _"I thought people hated school. Why are you so pro-school?"_

"Hey man, don't get me wrong, school sucks," Naruto insisted with a laugh. "But I acknowledge that it's important and it's the only way to get anywhere in life so, it's necessary. Besides, if I have to suffer through it, not fair you don't," he teased with a grin.

He heard the door at the landing open and Essyu snorted down the stairs. "You're only suffering because you're a moron," the other informed him, the stairs creaking while he descended them.

"Yeah, I know. Third in my class. Totally braindead, I am."

"Whatever you say, Yoda," Essyu replied, obviously smirking.

Naruto laughed and shifted on the futon so that he was more comfortable. "I love those movies. You know, _Star Wars _was probably the single most epic franchise in the history of entertainment."

"I'm surprised you didn't say _Harry Potter_," Essyu teased, his voice closer and making it seem as though he'd reached the bottom of the stairs. Despite how much pain he claimed to be in, the other was doing well with not showing it. Naruto wondered if he himself knew what real pain even was, at this point.

"Hey, don't diss _Harry Potter_!" Naruto pointed his finger at Essyu—or in his general direction, anyway—and huffed. "Harry Potter was the most amazing thing to ever happen to our generation!"

"Aw, I'm sorry, did you cry when you didn't get your Hogwarts acceptance letter?" Essyu was definitely smirking now, the bastard.

"No," the blond insisted. "Kiba almost did, though, when he found out it wasn't real."

"I'm sure that was you and you're trying to make him look bad."

Naruto felt a bowl being pressed into his hands, and beamed at Essyu. "What is it?"

"Ramen."

"Ramen?!" The blond instantly perked up, feeling like someone had just shot him up with happy juice.

"Do you not like ramen?"

Naruto answered by practically inhaling it, pushing the fork—amazingly, it was a fork—into his mouth and slurping up the noodles. His cheeks were puffed out from the volume, and his lips and mouth burned from the heat but he didn't care. Ramen was easily the most amazing food in existence.

"I'll take that as a yes," the kidnapper replied, amused.

The blond would have answered, but he was too busy happily slurping down the noodles. When he was done, he tipped the bowl and drank up the broth before letting out an appreciative sound and licking his lips.

"I don't know how insulted I should be that you ate that so quickly. I spent time and effort making you food."

Naruto laughed. "Hey, don't get me wrong, your food was great, but nothing beats ramen. Though your rice was a close call."

Essyu snorted. "That wasn't even my best rice. That was just one of my many recipes. I'll have to make you my good rice for dinner. I've already had you try two different kinds, but I promise this one will blow ramen out of the water."

"Doubtful," Naruto insisted with a grin.

A part of him wanted to tell Essyu not to bother, because he knew the other was hurting though he wouldn't admit it, and he didn't want him to suffer at his expense. But he also knew enough about Essyu to know his pride would never allow him to stop doing something just because he was injured.

Was it weird Naruto already knew him so well? Considering he didn't even know what the guy looked like, it felt weird.

"You gonna read to me today?" the blond asked, getting comfortable and taking a few sips of the glass of water Essyu handed him in exchange for his bowl.

"I can finish _Ice Station _if you want. Only about twenty or so pages left," the other replied.

"What?" Naruto was horrified. "You mean after that, that's it?! But... but Scarecrow! He's so epic!"

"How do you know he doesn't die at the end?" Naruto could hear the smirk in Essyu's voice, and he scowled.

"No way, man. No way does Scarecrow die. He's too epic. It would be like... like..." he scowled. "Like killing Luke Skywalker, dude. Ain't gonna happen, ever."

Essyu chuckled. "Doesn't George Lucas have another trilogy locked away? I heard he had originally planned on making nine of them but lost interest afterwards. No guarantee Luke didn't die then."

"No way." Naruto shook his head again. "Luke is the one character in the world who can never die. Scarecrow needs at least five more books before he's allowed to die, too. And even then, I might not authorize his death." The blond grinned.

Essyu barked out a laugh. It was the first time Naruto had heard him actually _laugh_. "You won't authorize his death? What are you gonna do, go kidnap Matthew Reilly?"

"If need be," Naruto insisted, grinning slightly. "Why not? Means I can have my own personal writer locked away forever in my basement." The blond did his best impression of an evil laugh while rubbing his hands together as best he could with a glass still held in one of them.

He laughed for real afterwards and took a sip of his water, but heard nothing from Essyu. Licking his lips and wiping his hand across his mouth, he frowned. "Essyu?"

"Hn?"

"You got quiet."

"Just wondering how someone who's currently kidnapped can actually make jokes about it."

The smile slowly left Naruto's lips and he sighed, reaching back to scratch at the back of his head, pulling slightly on his hair once he was done. "I keep telling you this isn't so bad. I'm so cool with this that I'm worried I'll be accused of being in on all of this once it's over." He laughed. "That'd be awesome. Get home only to be arrested. At least I'd be used to the cuffs by then." He grinned.

Silence met that statement, and he frowned a little, unsure as to why the other seemed so upset with regard to this entire situation. Maybe Essyu thought he was just trying to make the most of it, or something. Which, he supposed, he kind of was but at the same time, he really didn't mind it there so much. At least Essyu kept him entertained.

"I'll go get _Ice Station_," the other murmured, and Naruto heard him stand and start slowly towards the stairs.

* * *

**September 22nd, 15: 37**

Kiba shuffled down the corridor, hands shoved in his pockets and shoulder bag hitting his butt with each step he took. Most people moved out of his way when he approached, mostly because they knew he was Naruto's best friend, but a few of them stared openly before whispering. As if he didn't know what they were talking about.

"Hey Kiba."

The brunet turned at the voice, and nodded a hello before starting to continue towards the exit. The other who'd called out to him fell in-step beside him.

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come over for a bit today. You've been kind of depressed since Naruto got sick, so I thought maybe you could take a break from that. We can annoy the shit out of Gaara. That's always fun."

Kiba forced a smile. "Thanks, Kank, I appreciate it. Really, I do. But I'm just gonna go home."

"I'm just worried about you, bro," Kankurou Sabaku insisted, pushing open the exit door and walking alongside Kiba down the stairs. "I know we're not as close as you and Naruto are, but the few classes we have together are always fun. You've been upset for a long time. I think being around other people will help you a little. And Shino's worried, too."

"Shino spoke to you?" Kiba was surprised.

His childhood friend and neighbour, Shino Aburame, never really spoke to anyone who wasn't Kiba or Naruto. He wasn't born rich, his parents became rich, and because of that he'd opted out of this school the previous year because he hadn't felt comfortable being there despite no one really giving him any grief. Kiba understood, and still hung out with him every now and then, though he knew he'd definitely neglected his friend in favour of Naruto, who he'd known longer. Only by four years, but still.

"Yeah," Kankurou said with a slight smile, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and forcing Kiba to stop, too. "Shino was worried enough about you to talk to me. We just wanna make sure you don't self-destruct over this. Naruto's a tough guy, whatever he has, he'll get over it and have his adoring fans screaming so loudly when he returns that you'll wish he was still out sick." He offered Kiba a smile.

The brunet pressed his lips together, then nodded slowly. "Tell you what, I have something I need to do first, so let me do that, and I'll pick up Shino and head to your place, okay? We can hang out or something."

"Cool." Kankurou grinned. "You're a cool guy, Kiba. You and Naruto are just kinda hard to separate. Not that I'm saying it's good he's sick but you need a little bit of diversity." He smacked Kiba's back lightly. "I'll see you in a few then. You know the way?"

"Driver does, yeah," Kiba said with another forced smile before the two of them parted ways and he entered his limousine.

Kakuzu shut the door after him and moved to sit behind the wheel, pulling out soon afterwards.

"Can we go to the Namikaze's first, please?" he asked Kakuzu, staring out the window at nothing in particular. "There's something I want to give his dad."

"You're not going to punch him again, are you?" Kakuzu inquired. "I don't think he appreciated that."

Kiba just snorted, not caring what the fucker of a father appreciated. This was all his fucking fault, after all. Why should Kiba give a shit if Minato was unhappy with him? Kiba cared about Naruto, no one else. Well, Tsunade was cool too, but Naruto was mostly the only person in that house he gave a rat's ass about.

"I just wanna drop something off. No punching. Can you call the Aburames while I'm inside and tell Shino to meet us in front of his place? We're gonna go to Kankurou's."

"I think that's a wise idea. You've been too depressed about Naruto lately, your mother is becoming concerned."

_Well, considering I can't fucking talk about anything except when I'm with Tsunade, yeah, it's making it a little hard, _the brunet thought with a scowl, feeling grumpier, now.

The rest of the trip was conducted in silence, and by the time they reached Naruto's house, the front door was opening and Tsunade was stepping out, smiling sadly at the car. Kiba kicked his door open and reminded Kakuzu about the call before stepping out and walking over to the woman, giving her a brief hug before continuing into the house.

"Minato might not want to see you," she informed him once she'd shut the doors, following after the brunet who was heading for the man's office. "You _did _punch him across the face."

"You told me why you were mad at him, I think the action was justified." Kiba stopped outside the door. "Besides, I'm not here to fight. I just want to give him something."

He knocked once before pushing the door open without being prompted in. He didn't care what Minato was doing, though he had an idea of what it was regardless. Ever since he'd found out about the kidnapping the previous day, things had been hard for him. But he was going to at least do something to make himself feel better and, with any luck, whoever had Naruto would find it in their big fat bleeding hearts to at least offer him this one courtesy.

"Kiba," Minato said, startled, pausing the video he'd been watching. It was the same one he'd shown Kiba, and the brunet could only assume he spent his days watching it.

In his defence, the guy looked like shit. His hair was greasy, and it was obvious he hadn't shaved for a few days. He hadn't bothered to change out of his pyjamas, and there were dark circles under his eyes, as well as a nice, shiny new bruise on his left temple.

When the brunet walked further into the office, Minato stood and eyed him, shifting around his desk a little bit. "You're not going to punch me again, are you?"

"Not unless you give me a reason to," the brunet bit out, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes. He tried to calm himself down because he knew that, despite how Minato could sometimes be, the other cared for his son a great deal. He didn't show it as often as he should, but these events just proved—despite how much Kiba hated to admit it—that Minato really did truly care about his son.

"There hasn't been a new video, the drop off isn't until tomorrow," Minato informed him.

"That's not why I'm here." Reaching into his bag, Kiba pulled out a folded sheet of paper, licking his lips and raking one hand through his hair before holding it out to Minato. "That's for Naruto."

"I don't understand," Minato said, taking it from him.

"The kidnappers want the money, right? So it means you give it to them somehow, which means you can put that in the bag." He could see the blond about to argue but he continued. "It doesn't say anything important on it, and I know they're not gonna let him reply or anything, but I figure they'll read it first anyway if they even give it to him at all, and I guess..." He winced and shoved his hands in his pockets. "They took my best friend. The least they can do is deliver a message for me."

Minato held the letter close to himself, as if he wished he'd thought of it first. Kiba felt he probably was thinking that, but he'd hurt the older man enough for the moment, so he didn't comment on it. It probably hadn't really occurred to him.

"So... yeah, that's all I wanted to give you. If you don't send it, that's fine, but I really don't think they'll object so it'd be nice if you did send it for me." He nodded. "Yeah. So, I'll go."

He turned and headed out of the room, waving to Tsunade who was outside the office door, looking very much like Minato. As if she felt she should have thought of the letter idea a while ago herself. He hoped neither of them beat themselves up over it. Kiba was literally just taking a shot in the dark because he needed to at least believe Naruto was getting _something_.

One thing was for sure, though. Once the next video came, he wanted to see it.

* * *

**September 22nd, 18:53**

"I can't believe you didn't bring the other books!" Naruto blurted out, having a mini tantrum on his futon. "I mean, how could you just bring _Ice Station_without thinking that you'd finish it and would therefore need the next book?!"

Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head and shifting in his chair, trying to alleviate some of the pain he could feel in his lower back from leaning forward to avoid resting against the chair-back. Considering his injuries, he wasn't going to be leaning back for a while.

He'd grabbed another book of his from his room, except this one wasn't by Matthew Reilly, so obviously, Naruto was unhappy with him. It appeared he'd converted another Reilly fan, which pleased him. The man was a God, after all.

"When you get out, just buy it," Sasuke insisted, smirking slightly. "The next Scarecrow one is called _Area Seven_. You can find it anywhere."

"I will!" The blond pointed his finger in Sasuke's general direction. "Fuck Britannia!"

Sasuke snorted. "Why is that your favourite part? Seriously?"

"I don't know." Naruto shrugged and grinned, shifting on the futon and obviously getting himself more comfortable. "I just thought it was really lame of the British guy to always say 'rule Britannia' before killing them and having Scarecrow just scream that back at him was cool." Naruto's fists thrust into the air. "Fuck Britannia."

Sasuke shushed him, glancing at the stairs since the blond had screamed that pretty loudly. When Itachi didn't come bite their heads off, the two of them laughed a bit, Sasuke shaking his head and closing the current book he was reading, one written by Stephen King. He didn't think Naruto would get over Matthew Reilly for a while.

Just when he was about to start talking about the second book in the Scarecrow series, since that was clearly what Naruto wanted, the door for the basement opened and Itachi called him upstairs. Letting out a soft sigh, Sasuke stood with a wince and set the book down on the chair.

"How's your back?" Naruto asked while Sasuke headed for the stairs.

"I've taken some painkillers, so it hurts a bit less." He paused at the base of them. "But thanks for asking."

"Sure." Naruto grinned. "Hope you come back down. If not, well..." He waved his walkie-talkie and Sasuke smirked.

Beginning to climb the stairs, he paused as he so often did whenever he was hanging out with Naruto. "Hey."

"Hm?"

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow," he said with a smirk.

"Fuck Britannia," Naruto shot back, positively beaming at him.

Sasuke chuckled and started up the stairs, going faster than before, but definitely slower than usual.

"Hey, Essyu, how come I'm Scarecrow?"

"I'm your kidnapper," he insisted, continuing up the stairs. "Kind of makes me the villain of our story, doesn't it? Seems fitting to me."

The raven heard Naruto mumble something, but before he could make it out, he shut the basement door, unsure that he really wanted to know what had been said.

* * *

**September 22nd, 22:47**

Naruto expected Ayuu to be the one to come downstairs before the night was through. He may have been chained up in a basement, but he knew how to count, and if memory served him, it would be time for a new video tonight. He would want it done earlier rather than later to ensure he could edit it. Not to mention Naruto was pretty sure he worked too much during the day to really have time to do the things he wanted to do, namely make Naruto's life hell.

That was only proved by the fact that he'd actually left him and Essyu alone. Which he was grateful for, even if Essyu had complained that the distraction meant he couldn't make his special rice for dinner. Naruto hadn't minded another bowl of ramen, though it did make him a lot more dehydrated, which had led to Essyu giving him a water bottle, which had led to Naruto really needing to pee. A lot.

Which worked out fine, considering the other had been downstairs with him for a majority of the day. But alas, he knew his time without Ayuu would be brief since the other was so good at making his life hell. If Essyu had been his only kidnapper, Naruto would've happily hung around.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and the blond turned his head in its general direction, listening to the two sets of footsteps descending them. He shifted slightly to get more comfortable, clearly showing Ayuu he wasn't afraid of him because, well, he wasn't.

Aside from threatening to kill him all the time—which Naruto was fairly certain he wouldn't do since it would mean no more money—the guy wasn't all that scary. And considering he hadn't been the one to try and kiss him, the guy really didn't bother him all that much aside from the fact that he was an asshole.

"How's it going, Ayuu? Enjoying your evening? Have a good dinner?"

He felt the barrel of a gun press against his temple and winced, mostly because it was touching a previous bruise present there from his last encounter with the other.

"Skipping the pleasantries, huh?" he asked with a half-grin.

"Don't get cocky, Namikaze."

"For fuck's sake, are you dense, or just trying to be aggravating?" Naruto snapped. "My name is Uzumaki! Get it right! Aren't you meant to be a genius?"

He let out a startled grunt when the mask was ripped off his face, blue eyes clenching shut at the brightness of the room. He always forgot how bright it was until the mask came off. Truthfully, it was pretty annoying.

"Essyu, start the recording."

Naruto barely had time to register the beep before he felt something connect with the side of his face. Blood exploded in his mouth and he fell over sideways, hands flying out to stop his fall, though since he was already sitting down, it didn't really make much of an effect.

Spitting out blood, he let out a grunt when his hair was pulled and he was wrenched back into a sitting position. He felt Ayuu's covered lips against his ear.

"Do not irritate me further, _Uzumaki_," Ayuu hissed in his ear, Naruto positive that it was too low for the video to hear. "I was planning on letting you go after this kidnapping. Don't make me change my mind."

The blond's head was pushed forward roughly and Naruto coughed, wiping the back of his hand across his lips, smearing blood. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that the thing that had connected with his face had been the butt of the other's gun. Probably didn't want to get his hands dirty.

"Now what?" Naruto snapped, glaring at Ayuu.

The other just stared back dispassionately before aiming his gun. Naruto's eyes had just enough time to widen before he let out a shout, Ayuu's gun going off. Essyu jerked to his feet behind the camera.

A shaky breath escaped Naruto's lips, eyes locked on the smoking hole right between his legs, mere inches from the crotch of the sweatpants he was wearing. It was hard to inhale, but he forced himself to, eyes slowly lifting to regard the other man. Ayuu was still aiming at his crotch and Naruto licked his lips and averted his gaze.

He hated this game. He was defiant by nature, but absolutely nothing would make him continue with the threat of getting his nuts blown off.

Ayuu snapped his fingers, making Naruto glance back at him, and gave his eyes gave him a clear "do you get it now?" look.

Licking his lips again, Naruto let out a snort and averted his gaze. "I get it. You're the boss, boss." He looked back up at the kidnapper and grinned. "But I'd love to see how you'd fare one on one with me."

Naruto still hadn't quite learned how to keep his mouth shut, and by the time Ayuu was in front of him, Essyu was right beside his brother, trying to pull the gun out of Naruto's mouth, since Ayuu's finger looked ready to pull the trigger.

"We need him," Essyu insisted, tugging on his brother's arm. "Ayuu, we _need _him!"

Ayuu's eyes narrowed, Naruto staring right back at him defiantly, and the older man growled and pulled away, the blond's tongue feeling weird since the gun had still been a little bit too warm to get shoved against skin. He was lucky it hadn't burned.

Stalking across the basement, Ayuu wrenched the camera off the stand, Naruto hearing a beep to indicate he'd stopped the recording, and then disappeared up the stairs. Essyu stayed tense until the door at the top of the landing slammed shut.

Letting out a sigh, Essyu punched Naruto hard in the arm.

"Ow!" The blond rubbed at it, scowling. "What the hell was that for?"

"Why do you have to do that?" Essyu demanded, clearly annoyed. "Do you _want _him to shoot you?"

"It's in my nature, I can't help it." He turned to scowl towards the stairs. "He's a dick."

"Trust me, I know. I'm the one who grew up with him." Essyu reached around him to grab the mask and motioned Naruto forward so he could put it back on.

Sighing, the blond complied, the darkness returning once more when the mask was secured. Once it was locked, he leaned back against the wall and puffed out his cheeks while exhaling. "I pity blind people."

"I'll bet," Essyu said with a chuckle. "You'll appreciate your sight more once you're home."

"Provided Ayuu doesn't kill me."

"Provided you stop antagonizing him. You're only making things worse. Which, in turn, makes my life difficult."

"Eh, I make life more exciting for you," Naruto insisted with a grin.

He received a snort in reply, and heard Essyu shuffling around for a bit before he sat down in his usual chair and Naruto heard him yawn.

"Tired?"

"Yeah. We've been awake a long time. Aren't you?"

"Not really. I've enjoyed our chats." He grinned.

Another snort, then a brief silence.

Naruto let out a thoughtful sound, cocking his head to the side. There was one thing he wanted to talk to Essyu about, concerning something they'd discussed only once, and then had never touched again.

"Hey, Essyu."

"What?"

"Have you ever kissed anyone before me?"

Silence met that question, and Naruto could only assume the other didn't know what to say. Which was understandable since he'd kind of just tossed that out there for him without really having led up to it with anything else.

"I just wondered because of what happened. I don't know..." He shrugged.

"I have in the past, yes," Essyu finally said. "In high school, before I dropped out. Kissed a few girls." Another silence, this one shorter. "And you?"

"Nah." Naruto shifted his legs so they were in front of him, his previous position making them fall asleep. "I've never liked anyone enough to warrant kissing them. I'd probably suck at it."

More silence. This one so long, Naruto wondered if Essyu had left.

"Essyu?"

"What?"

"Nothing, just making sure you were still there."

"I don't know what to say," the other admitted. "I feel like I cheated you."

"What, because your lips barely brushed mine?" Naruto grinned. "Give me a break, that wasn't even a real kiss."

A pause, then, "That almost sounded like a challenge, Uzumaki."

"Take it how you wanna." Naruto grinned. "I'm the helpless captive." His grin widened.

"Are you... you're acting like you _want _to be taken advantage of. Besides, aren't you straight?"

"What?" Naruto snorted. "Where did you hear that? I don't discriminate. If I love someone, I love them, no matter their age or gender." He shrugged. "It's not the outside that matters, right? I mean, I've off and on fallen for Kiba, and mostly talk myself out of it because we're like brothers. Still, I've entertained the idea, just because I know it'd be easy with him, but he likes girls so, I'm shit outta luck."

He laughed, shaking his head and raking his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I was just thinking... I don't even know." He laughed again, louder. He honestly just felt like he'd never get another opportunity like this. To have someone he clicked with so well that he could just... practice kissing with, he supposed. Sure, it was weird because he didn't even know what the guy looked like, but he hadn't felt this connected to any one person since having met Kiba, which was sad considering he'd known the brunet for pretty much his entire conscious life.

"Naruto."

"Yeah?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

The blond couldn't help but snort at that. "Dude, that sounded so fucking gay, I can't believe you asked me that. Besides, wouldn't it be hotter for you to just come and take it whether I agreed or not? I mean, not that I'm into that, but just be—"

Naruto could only assume his words had drowned out the sound of the other standing, because before he could even finish his sentence, there was a hand in his hair and his head was wrenched back harshly, a grunt escaping his parted lips. He could feel Essyu exhaling against his skin, and he grinned.

"What's wrong? You got this far." He tried to tilt his head up more so their lips would brush, but the other pulled back. "Chickening out?"

"This is a bad idea." He could hear the scowl in the other's voice. "You don't even know me. It's only been eight days."

"Well, sure, but for one thing, we're guys." He grinned at that statement. "So you know, we're kind of hormone driven. Besides, it might have been eight days, but if you consider how people get to know each other, it's usually an hour or two here or there over a couple of days, right? We're been talking for almost twelve to thirteen hours a day for eight days. In normal people time, we're on date, like, eleven or something. Maybe twelve."

He heard Essyu snort softly.

"Come on, you know I'm right." He grinned. "Just do it." He brought one hand up and buried it in the other's hair, unable to help wonder what colour it was. All he knew was that it was dark, but that could mean black, dark brown, dark red, who knew? "Unless you're a chickenshit."

Apparently, Essyu didn't like being labelled a chickenshit because Naruto felt his lips press against his own, moving for a few seconds before pulling away.

"You call that a kiss?" The blond snorted. "Come on, Mr. Kidnapper. Impress me."

"This is a bad idea."

"You said already. Come on, no harm, right? We can fuck around a little, no one has to get hurt. We're both adults." He leaned forward more. "Come on, just do it. Don't make me call you a chickenshit again."

Essyu hesitated, though for what reason, Naruto had no idea, but then finally the guy pulled back harder on his hair and slammed their lips together, his tongue demanding entry. Naruto, sadly, wasn't experienced enough to fight back for dominance, so he merely allowed Essyu entrance and tried his best to mimic the other's actions with his own tongue.

After a few seconds of that, the other pulled away, breathing hard, and kissed Naruto again lightly, trapping the blond's bottom lip between his own.

Naruto grinned. "Impressed."

Essyu snorted and pulled away, Naruto hearing him beginning to gather up whatever needed to go back upstairs. "You're playing a dangerous game."

"Why?" Naruto snorted. "I'm a pain in the ass, it's not like you're gonna want to keep me."

The other didn't say anything while he continued gathering whatever it was he was grabbing. He started for the stairs, but stopped before ascending them, as usual.

"You have your walkie-talkie?"

Naruto explored the covers with his hands until he found the item and held it up.

"I'll read to you some more upstairs for a bit. I know it's not Matthew Reilly, but it's better than nothing. Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"I'm good, but if I need you," the blond wiggled the walkie-talkie, "I'll let you know."

"Right. Talk to you in a second."

"I'll be waiting," the blond replied with a grin.

* * *

**September 23rd, 09:12**

No matter how hard Sasuke tried, he couldn't stop thinking about the previous night. It had been a bad idea. He'd known it the second Naruto had challenged him. Kissing him had been a mistake because he knew, now. He knew that no matter what, he wouldn't be able to let him go, and that concerned him.

Were his brother not a complete asshole, he'd have asked him for some kind of advice on the matter, but considering who Itachi was, he knew that wasn't an option, so he just lay in bed in his room, listening to Naruto breathe through the walkie-talkie.

That had actually been what had woken him up. The blond had probably rolled over onto it or something, so the button was pressed down, and now all Sasuke could hear was the slow and steady breathing of the other male. And, quite frankly, it was turning him on a little bit.

Which, again, was a concern. He'd found Naruto attractive even before they'd kidnapped him, but just talking to him all the time and finding out about his life, what kind of person he was, things about his family and friends... Even though Sasuke himself couldn't offer up as much information, he still felt like there was something there between them. The trust Naruto had shown him, for no particular reason... It unsettled him.

In his mind, he was suddenly important to the blond, and he knew that wasn't right. He knew that once this was over, it was _over_. He would never see Naruto again, and no amount of talking with Itachi was going to change that. Naruto would be lost to him. Something he had once had and could never have again.

"Fuck," he hissed, burying his face in his pillow and growling angrily. Itachi had been right, and that pissed him off. He was already attached before, but now it was even worse. What if he started obsessing? What if, once Naruto was gone, he couldn't let him go and just started stalking him? Or just went off the deep end and fucking kidnapped him all over again?!

"That was a bad idea," he whispered to himself, feeling stupid. This entire plan was a bad idea, but now he was just doubly screwed.

"You know," a voice said, making Sasuke jump and lift his head to see Itachi in his doorway, eating cereal again, "this is your own fault."

"Do you mind?" Sasuke drawled, his back twinging from his startled jump. "This is a private conversation."

"With yourself? Is the blond suddenly boring?" Itachi spooned more cereal into his mouth.

Sasuke buried his face into his pillow again, hating the knowing look he was getting. Of course Itachi would fucking know what the problem was. He'd known from the beginning that Sasuke was getting attached.

"I don't like it," Itachi continued. "How close you two are, but at least his desire to keep you happy keeps him tolerable. So as long as you don't divulge anything else about us, I approve of your conversations and—_other _activities."

When Sasuke's head lifted, his eyes shooting in his brother's direction, he saw the knowing smirk, and wondered if he'd heard their conversation, or if he'd actually been sitting on the stairs, watching. His brother was quiet enough to be able to pull that off.

"I won't be able to let him go when this is over."

"Don't worry about that," Itachi insisted, taking another bite. "I'll make sure you let go. Don't you worry about that."

* * *

**September 23rd, 11:47**

Naruto was almost tempted to start singing "the wheels on the bus" again, mostly because for some reason, he couldn't remember the words to any other songs at the moment, which was very unfortunate for him, considering Essyu was currently unavailable.

He'd woken up needing to use the bathroom and had walkie-talkie'd Essyu to ask him if he could please be released so he could take a leak. He'd received no reply, and Ayuu had appeared a few seconds later, pushing him roughly towards the bathroom. When Naruto had asked where Essyu was, Ayuu had told him he was in the shower.

Honestly, he hadn't expected a reply, so it was a nice change. He figured Ayuu was in a good mood or something. So, he'd done his business and been chained back up and Ayuu had promptly left, as per usual. Which was fine with Naruto except now he was bored.

The blond reached up to touch the side of his face, lightly poking at the bruise he knew was present on his cheekbone. It hurt to the touch and, like his back earlier in the week, he was trying to see how long he could put pressure on it before it became unbearable. He was lasting a lot longer with the bruise than he had with the lashes on his back. Which was understandable, in his opinion.

He was glad they didn't hurt as much anymore though. He was sure Essyu's still did, considering it had happened only two days ago. It was weird to think of it as having happened _only _two days ago. It was even weirder to have been told it had only been eight days. It seriously felt like so much longer than that. He felt closer to Essyu than he did with Kiba, and considering he knew barely anything personal about the kidnapper, that was talent.

And thinking about Essyu just made him remember the previous night. He frowned behind his mask, wondering what he should be feeling. It was weird, but when he'd been taunting Essyu, he'd really been hoping he would take the bait. He didn't know it at the time, but once the other had gone upstairs and Naruto had been left alone to think while the kidnapper got himself ready for bed before grabbing his walkie-talkie, the blond had realized that he really had wanted the other to kiss him.

Was that weird? _Of course it's weird,_Naruto thought with an eye roll. How could it not be weird? He was falling for his kidnapper. That was fucking retarded, wasn't it? He didn't even know what he looked like, or anything about him barring his parents dying in a car crash and who his favourite author was.

_Fuck, I thought Stockholm Syndrome was a myth or something, do people actually fall for their kidnappers? That's so fucked up! _Not that he could exactly talk, considering his current predicament. In a way, though, he felt it made sense. He was being taken care of, pretty much waited on and his life depended on Essyu. And Ayuu, he supposed, but if it were up to the older man, Naruto'd have died a while ago, so he liked to think Essyu was the one holding his life in the palm of his hand and, really, he liked that better.

Essyu was taking care of him, and in addition, they were talking a lot. They were almost friends. Naruto really liked that. Sometimes, it really was possible to imagine he was sitting here pretending to be a prisoner with a friend. Like playing cops and robbers and stuff like that. Still, he didn't like that he was starting to like Essyu.

He didn't like that he'd asked him to kiss him, challenged him. Because what if once he was let go, he couldn't... well, _let go_? What if he just insisted he wanted to stay with them? As much as he didn't want to go home, that wasn't fair to Tsunade or Kiba. Why punish them because of his father, right?

Still... the whole thing worried him. And worse still, he couldn't even ask anyone for advice.

_One day at a time,_ he decided, letting out a slow breath. _It's not even close to your birthday, and Essyu confirmed you'd still be here, so just take it one day at a time._

He heard the door open and his head shot up. His heart rate increased ever so slightly, and he scowled at that, because he didn't think Essyu warranted his heart to pick up its pace just by opening the fucking door. And he didn't even know for sure it was Essyu, anyway!

Except he did know. Somehow, he always knew.

"I'll be down in a second with some food," Essyu called down to him. "Sorry, I was in the shower. I'll get some clothes on and be right there."

Somehow, the thought of Essyu without clothes really wasn't helping.

"Oh it's gonna be a long kidnapping," Naruto muttered to himself.

* * *

**September 23rd, 14:28**

Was it so ridiculous that Minato really couldn't find the right words to use in his letter to his son? He'd written and re-written the letter he was going to send with the money over a dozen times, but nothing felt good enough. This would be his first communication with Naruto—provided the teen even got it—since his kidnapping, and Minato wanted it to be perfect. He wanted him to know that he loved him and was cooperating and doing everything he could to ensure everything worked out.

Hell, he'd even added double the amount requested in this drop off just to see if maybe it would mean a quicker release. Just in case it made the kidnappers decide that, since he was being so good about it, they could ask for the remainder of the money they wanted and send Naruto home. It was a long shot, but it might work.

After having deleted yet another attempted letter, Minato let out a frustrated sigh and turned to his door when he heard a knock.

Tsunade poked her head in and smiled at him. "I brought you some coffee."

"Thank you," he said, pulling off his reading glasses and setting them down on his desk. He hadn't had to wear them for a long time, but he supposed the stress—and old age—were making his eyes strain a little.

Tsunade placed his cup on the edge of the desk, and then pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her pocket. She stared down at it as if it were the most precious possession she had, and when she handed it to Minato, he understood why.

"I know I have no right, but I just thought... If you agree to Kiba's, maybe you could offer me the same courtesy?"

Minato took it from her, staring down at it. "This is for Naruto?"

"If they'll give it to him, yes."

He nodded. "I've been trying to write one for him, myself. I was going to give it a try, because Kiba asked." He looked up and smiled slightly at the older woman. "The worst they can do is not give them to him. I haven't broken any rules, and like Kiba said, it's not like we're expecting replies."

Tsunade smiled and leaned forward slightly. "How's yours coming?"

Minato turned back to the blank screen. "I haven't found the right thing to say."

"It's all right." She placed her hand gently atop his and smiled at him. "You'll find them. Just... speak from the heart. Everyone knows you love your son, Minato. He's the only one who doesn't know it yet. Just say what you need to say, and he'll understand. All Naruto ever wanted was for you to be around, and I know now that when he gets back, you'll be there for him."

Minato laughed slightly, but he could feel a sob working its way up his throat. He forced it back down. "Once I get him back, I don't think I'll be able to let him out of my sight."

"I think he'd appreciate that," Tsunade said with a smile, patting his hand. "Don't worry, you have time. Just work on it until you've said all you need to say. There are no wrong words here."

Minato nodded a thanks to her and she left the room. He rubbed his face, took a sip of his coffee, and turned back to his computer, letting out a slow breath before beginning to type once more.

He would find the right words eventually. He just hoped he could before midnight.


	9. Mr Snake

**A/N: I know, I know, I suck. Work's been killer, and editing smut is harder than I anticipated... Can never decide what should be cut out and what's okay to keep, bleh. Anywho 8D Here ya go! I'll reply to PMs probably tomorrow. Hopefully. I have to go to work at 6am on Saturday QQ  
**

**Disclaimer: I cannot be witty, my brain is mushy |D Kiba and all others belong to Kishimoto Masashi. Area Seven and Matthew Reilly belong to Matthew Reilly (and yes, he and his books are real.)  
**

* * *

**September 23rd, 18:24**

Naruto cocked his head to the side while listening to the sounds coming from upstairs. Essyu had left a while ago after having tried to get him into the Stephen King book to make him his special rice.

While he was kind of excited, he would admit he missed the other's company. They'd both joked about the kissing quite a bit, but Naruto wondered if the other felt as weird as he did about the whole thing. After all, Essyu had been the one to continue to say it was all a bad idea.

Letting out a slow sigh, he leaned back against the wall and brought the walkie-talkie to his lips.

"Hey, Essyu. You almost done up there?"

There was a pause before the other replied.

_"You know, you constantly asking if I'm done is only making me slower."_

"I'm bored," Naruto whined, rolling around slightly. He couldn't roll much considering his restraints, but he rolled enough.

_"I'm almost done, be patient." _He could hear the smirk in the other's tone and just snorted.

"Hey, what's Ayuu up to? I haven't heard or seen him since this morning."

A longer pause here, and when Essyu replied, Naruto could tell his mouth was full. _"He's still trying to catch up on work, so he'll be avoiding you for a while."_

"Oh, good," Naruto said. "I like when he avoids me. Means less injuries for me."

_"Yeah. You know, your face doesn't look too bad. I thought for sure that it would look really bad after the hit you got, but the bruise is actually kind of hot."_

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "You think my injuries are hot?"

_"You're hot, injuries just make you look rugged."_

The blond laughed, knowing the other was smirking. For some reason, it didn't bother him anymore when Essyu called him hot. Probably because he knew the guy liked his personality, too, considering they'd talked about it. It was still weird that he felt so close to the kidnapper but it was also a bit of a relief.

Letting out another sigh, he smiled slightly while thinking of Essyu. It sucked that he would never know what he looked like, but he tried to imagine him.

Naruto liked to think they were opposites. Where he was dark and tanned, he imagined Essyu was pale. Well, he knew he was _pale_, really, considering his brief glimpse of the other, but he was fairly certain he was imagining him much paler than he truly was. He also already knew he had black eyes, which were the opposite of his own blue ones. And while he had blond hair, he liked to imagine the other's was black, or at least dark brown.

He didn't want to think it was brown because then he just pictured Kiba, and that was wrong. But he did wish he knew what he looked like barring the glimpse he'd gotten, though was positive he never would.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Naruto turned to glance in its general direction.

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

Naruto grinned. "Fuck Britannia."

A snort met his ears, Essyu descending the stairs. His speed was slowly increasing with each visit, which Naruto was happy about because it meant his back was hurting less. He doubted it had healed considerably in such a short amount of time, but at least it seemed to bother him less.

He felt a bowl press into his hands and grinned. "Your famous rice?"

"Indeed." He could hear the smirk. "Let me know if it's better than ramen."

Naruto picked up the spoon and took one tentative bite, eyes widening behind his mask. "Dude!" He shovelled some more into his mouth. "_Dude_!" he exclaimed around his mouthful.

"Good?"

"Amazing!" Naruto corrected. "This is amazing! What the hell! Are you a chef or something? Because you should be!"

Essyu chuckled. "I enjoy cooking. It's therapeutic."

"Dude, no offense to my chef, but this is the most amazing thing ever. Seriously."

"Better than ramen?"

The blond squinted, trying to think. _Was_ it better than ramen? Was it possible for _anything _to be better than ramen?

"I guess, but only just barely," he said with a grin. "That's the biggest compliment you can ever get from me."

He heard Essyu chuckle.

* * *

**September 23rd, 23:53**

Minato was slowly beginning to panic. In a very bad way. He always arrived at the drop locations early to ensure he would be on time, but this drop, while he _was _early, there was a problem.

His instructions had been to leave the money beside a specific bench in the large park downtown. Well, Minato was there, but there was a homeless man currently sleeping on the bench in question.

If he left the money there, and the hobo woke up and took off with it, Minato would never see his son again. The kidnapper would think he hadn't paid.

But if he didn't leave it there in time, the kidnapper would accuse him of being late. Could the man see him? Could he see the hobo? Would he forgive his tardiness?

Minato checked his watch again and tried to swallow down his panic. He didn't know what to do right now! He had to go put the money down!

This wasn't fair in the slightest! How was he supposed to control the people around him like this? Did his kidnapper not consider something like this might happen? Would he forgive Minato this time and be more conscious of such events in the future? Or would he insist he should've found a way to get rid of the hobo?

Oh God, _was_ he expecting Minato to find a way to get rid of the hobo?! But how?! _How_?! He only had five minutes left!

_Okay, calm down,_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes and trying to suppress his panic. _He's a homeless man. What would I want if I were homeless?_

Well, it was getting cold, so some kind of blanket or shelter would be appreciated. Probably food, as well. And, of course, money.

_I have money!_

Minato dug into his coat for his wallet, finding he had about two-hundred dollars in cash. Taking a slow breath, he headed purposefully to the bench and set the bag down silently beside it, pushing it beneath it with his foot and watching to make sure he didn't wake the hobo yet. He bent down and silently felt along the underside of the bench until his fingers found the DVD always left behind at the drop off. Grabbing it, he stuffed it quickly into his coat and stood before shaking the homeless man awake.

The man jerked up with a start, mumbling something about not having broken any laws. Minato ignored his words, and tried to think quickly on how to proceed.

"Sorry to wake you," Minato said, resisting the urge to check his watch. "But I really need to talk to someone tonight. My wife just left me and I have no one to talk to."

The homeless man stared at him as if he were insane. Which, really, Minato could understand.

"I'll give you two-hundred bucks to spend fifteen minutes with me."

The man was on his feet so fast that Minato stumbled back a step.

"Whatever you need, man," the other said, appearing to try and look sympathetic. "I'm here for you."

"Um... right." Minato started walking, leading him away from the bench. He tried his best to make things up on the spot about his wife, who'd "just left him," which was hard considering she'd been dead for almost sixteen years.

When they were far enough away, he chanced a glance backwards, and saw his bag was gone. He prayed to God that it was the kidnapper who'd taken it.

* * *

**September 23rd, 23:58**

Itachi scowled angrily while watching the bench from the shadows, wishing he'd had enough time to chase the homeless man away before Minato had shown up.

Sadly, he hadn't, and now he was stuck wondering what to do. He'd put the disc where the old man expected it to be, under the bench, and then had gone to grab himself a coffee in a nearby shop while waiting for midnight to arrive. By the time he'd gotten back, the bum was sleeping on the bench, and Minato had already arrived.

And now, there he was, dancing nervously behind a tree across from him, and as much as Itachi hated the man, he could understand why he was so concerned.

If he left the money, it risked being taken. But if he was late, Naruto would die.

While Itachi _was_ an asshole, he would never blame this tardiness on Minato, considering he was _there_, just unable to make the drop. Sadly, he had no way of letting the other man know that, so now that this was happening, they were both kind of screwed.

Just when Itachi was beginning to get really impatient, Minato moved forward from where he was hiding and slowly put the money down. He watched the blond man search for the DVD before he tucked the item into his jacket and woke the homeless man up.

Itachi didn't know what the other had said, but he'd managed to lead the bum away from the bench.

Wasting no time, Itachi put his cigarette out against the tree he was hiding behind and shoved the butt into his pocket—he wasn't stupid enough to leave behind evidence, no matter how unlikely it would be for him to get identified—then hurried to the bench and yanked the bag out from under it.

He was gone from the path so quickly, he knew Minato hadn't seen him. Normally, he'd have waited longer, but there were more bums around and he didn't want to risk getting into a fight with one over the bag, it would draw attention.

Hurrying back to his car, he quickly unlocked the doors and tossed the bag inside, then climbed in, started the car, and pulled out.

He didn't relax until he'd made it home, parking in the underground of their small apartment building and climbing out with the bag.

Making his way to the elevators, he couldn't help but notice the bag felt heavier than usual. He didn't want to risk opening it since someone might see, so he decided to wait until he'd exited the lift and was safely in his apartment before doing so.

Tossing the bag onto the kitchen table after having locked the front door, he turned on the light and grabbed himself a new cigarette, lighting it while taking a seat. He pulled the bag closer to himself and opened it.

Cocking an eyebrow ever so slightly at the sight of an envelope, he pulled it out and opened it. Inside were three folded pieces of paper. When he opened the first one, he saw that it was addressed to Naruto, and snorted before shoving it back into the envelope and putting it in his back pocket.

Pulling out the stacks of money, he began to count them, cigarette dangling from his lips. He was getting a little confused when he was nearing one-hundred thousand and the bag was only half empty.

He understood what was happening once he finished counting out the agreed upon amount. There was double in the bag, and he wondered if it was Minato's silent attempt to get his son back earlier. It wouldn't work, but having this extra money would certainly help Itachi and Sasuke.

He shifted in his seat when his phone vibrated, bringing one hand to his lips to pull his cigarette away while flipping open his phone with the other. It was Sasuke, checking to see if the drop had gone well. He replied that it had. Sasuke then asked if he was home, and if he was, if it would be possible for him to bring all of his Matthew Reilly books.

Itachi knew they were for Naruto, and that irked him, but he replied that he would and closed his phone, inhaling on his cigarette one last time before putting it out in the ashtray on the table.

The Uchiha took his time getting himself organized: putting the money away, getting Sasuke's books, packing up a few things he would need. When he was done, he took one last look into the apartment before letting out a slow breath.

"We're on our way, little brother."

Shutting the door behind him, he made sure it was locked before heading back to the underground. He was happy he hadn't encountered anyone in the elevator, mostly because he didn't want any of his neighbours remembering seeing him so late at night. He was sure there were cameras, but no one would go back and look at the footage without cause.

Reaching the garage, he headed quickly to his car and tossed the bag of items into the passenger seat, then started the car and headed for the rental place.

When he arrived, all the windows were dark. It was nearing one in the morning by now, so it made sense that Sasuke had gone to bed after sending his text. Itachi assumed he'd actually just gotten up to use the restroom and had texted him before returning to bed.

Exiting the car, he headed inside, locking the door behind himself and moved to his brother's room. When he opened the door, he could hear Sasuke's slow, even breathing, and walked further into it.

Setting the books down beside his futon, he reached forward and slowly ran one hand through his brother's hair, watching the other shift slightly but continue to sleep.

"Soon, little brother," he promised. "We'll be done with this soon."

* * *

**September 24th, 07:03**

"Sir, I don't understand why we're coming to the Namikaze household so early in the morning. Naruto will surely still be sleeping."

"We're going because I said so," Kiba grumbled, grouchy from lack of sleep. "And don't call me 'sir'."

He knew Kakuzu was concerned about him, but he didn't have the energy to give a shit. He knew that last night had been the drop off, which meant that Minato now had a new video, and Kiba wanted to see it. Tsunade had informed him that not all the videos were as tame as the previous one he'd seen, but he didn't care.

Even if he had to watch Naruto get the shit kicked out of him, he needed to see him. Needed to know his friend was still alive and, hopefully, would fucking _stay _alive.

They pulled up to the large gates and were let in, Kakuzu parking beside the front steps and opening his door for him. Kiba stepped out, staring up at the entrance before tilting his head slightly towards his driver.

"Wait in the car. I'll only be a minute."

He didn't move until Kakuzu obeyed, then walked up the steps and knocked on the large oak before him. Tsunade opened it a few seconds later, seeming startled to find him there.

"Kiba. What are you doing here?"

"He got a new video, I know he did." Kiba clenched his fists. "I want to see it."

Tsunade glanced behind herself, then back at Kiba, pressing her lips together. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I really don't care." He winced the second the words left his mouth. "Sorry, that was rude. I just—I know I won't like what I see, I just need to see it anyway."

Letting out a small sigh, Tsunade turned to look behind her again then motioned Kiba in. "Minato is still sleeping, but I'll bring you to his study to watch it, then you need to go to school. I don't want you using Naruto as an excuse to not continue with your education."

"Trust me," Kiba muttered, following after her, "school is probably the only thing keeping me together right now. So much is going on in my classes that I don't have time to think. It helps."

"I'm glad," Tsunade said honestly with a smile back at him while opening the study doors. "It should still be in the computer." She motioned it. "Just watch it and I'll bring you out."

Kiba hesitated at the threshold. "Did you watch it?"

"No." She pressed her lips together. "Minato tells me what happens. I prefer not to watch them unless they're just him talking, like the previous one."

"I guess he isn't talking in this one," Kiba whispered, shoving his hands in his pockets and stalking forward. He moved around the desk and took a seat, licking his lips and reaching out for the mouse. After wiggling it, he saw the video was paused on the date and location of the next drop off. Three days from today at the back of the parking lot of the public library downtown.

Trying to ignore that, since he really didn't want to feel tempted to go, he clicked the bar back to the beginning and pressed play.

The screen was black, before the words "are you watching?" scrolled across it in red letters. When the image changed to Naruto, Kiba jumped when the blond was hit across the face with the butt of a gun.

He could feel bile rising in his throat already but he forced it back down and kept watching, Naruto spitting blood from his mouth. A gloved hand grabbed at his hair and wrenched him back into a sitting position, since he'd fallen over from the force of the hit.

The sound suddenly cut off, the background noise having disappeared as if the video had been altered. He could only assume that meant the kidnapper was saying something to him. Then, the static returned and he leaned closer, squinting slightly.

Naruto's head was pushed forward and his best friend coughed, wiping his hand across his mouth and smearing blood along his cheek.

_"Now what?"_

"Oh, fuck, Naruto," Kiba whispered, rubbing at his mouth, as if he'd gotten hit in the jaw as well. In his letter, he'd told Naruto to keep that defiant mouth of his shut so he would come home in one piece. Seemed the other hadn't thought of doing that on his own, if his words were any indication.

Kiba leapt a mile high when a gun went off, and he almost let out a shout when he heard Naruto let one out first. The brunet's heart slammed against his ribs, but when he finally managed to focus back on the image on the screen, he saw that Naruto hadn't been hit. The shot had landed right between his spread legs on the futon he was sitting on.

There was silence for a few seconds, and then someone snapped their fingers, obviously the kidnapper. Naruto's eyes lifted to him before he snorted and said, _"I get it. You're the boss, boss."_

"Aw shit, Naruto, don't," Kiba whispered, knowing what was coming next. He'd fought his best friend enough times to _know _what was coming. "Come on, man, keep that mouth of yours in check."

No dice. The blond grinned.

_"But I'd love to see how you'd fare one on one with me."_

Kiba let out a shaky breath when he saw the kidnapper in front of Naruto. He couldn't see much due to the man's back being to the camera, but the audio cut out again and another figure appeared beside the first, tugging on his arm. Squinting and shifting in the chair, he managed to discern that the gun was currently in Naruto's mouth.

After a few tense seconds, the first kidnapper jerked away, gun still in hand, and the video went dead. Then the screen went back to what he'd walked in on and he paused it, letting out a slow breath.

When he looked up, Tsunade was still in the doorway. He offered her a smile and she smiled back, motioning for him to exit the office. He did so, being sure to make everything look exactly the same before closing the door behind himself.

"Isn't it harder for you to listen to it?" Kiba asked, walking back towards the door with her. "You can only imagine what's happening. You don't see it."

"I like to pretend it's a movie," she said with a smile. "Listening to it makes it easier to pretend. Seeing it isn't as easy. Especially since I know he was hit."

"I guess," Kiba said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Will you keep me posted?"

"Of course." She smiled and opened the front door. "I'll let you know everything I know when I find out about it."

"Thanks." He nodded and reached out to push some of the older woman's hair back. "You should get some sleep, Tsunade. You don't look well."

She laughed. "I'll get some sleep when my brat's back where he belongs." She began to close the door, and Kiba suspected seeing him was getting hard for her. "Goodbye Kiba."

"Bye."

The door shut in his face and he let out a slow sigh before turning around and heading back to his car so he could head to school. It just sucked he was going to have a lot of time to kill before the classes actually started.

* * *

**September 24th, 12:47**

"Dude!" Naruto insisted, chewing quickly before swallowing and pointing his spoon at Sasuke. "That would be, like, the most singularly epic movie ever! How are these books not movies?! I mean, a device on the president's heart that'll set off bombs all over the place if it stops beating? That's fucking _brilliant_! Where does he get this stuff?!"

"I don't know," Sasuke said with a smirk. "But I think it's imaginative, too. It's why he's my favourite author."

"Mine, too! Geez! And to think I'd never have heard of him if not for you!" Naruto laughed and shovelled another spoonful of rice into his mouth.

When Sasuke had asked him if there was anything in particular he'd wanted for lunch, the blond had said he would love more of his rice, provided Sasuke had leftovers since he didn't want the other to leave him for so long again.

Sasuke had said there were leftovers, but had simultaneously not known how to react to his comment. While he'd been spending a lot of time downstairs since having been belted, he felt like things were soon going to be dangerous for both of them. If it got to the point where they both consistently needed to be around one another, things weren't going to end well on the twenty-second of October.

Closing the book, the raven eyed the captive for a few seconds, deciding that he needed to ask this. He hadn't wanted to because he felt it was too soon, but he needed to know how much trust there was. How much Naruto truly cared about him. How bad this was going to end up being once he sent the other home.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Naruto said, taking another bite. "What's up?"

The Uchiha hesitated. "What... I mean, with your condition, what happened?"

Naruto froze, and Sasuke could see some of the colour draining from what he could see of the other's face. He felt a little relieved, but also disappointed. He couldn't decide whether the blond's reluctance to talk about it was a good sign or a bad one.

Then he had to rethink his entire inner monologue because Naruto set his spoon down and started explaining in a low voice.

"My nanny—well, almost my mother, I guess... her name is Tsunade. My mom died long before conscious thought, so in my eyes, Tsunade's been my parent my entire life. She means the world to me, and I love her as if she were my own mother, and not the hired help. Her brother got really sick, so she had to leave for a while. I was only five or six at the time, really young, and my dad was never around. He knew the other hired help could watch out for me but he wanted someone to specifically _watch _me." The blond laughed darkly, licking his lips. "He asked around and heard about this guy. I don't even remember his name, I just know in my mind, I called him Mr. Snake, because he reminded me of one."

The blond winced, rubbing at his left arm, obviously uncomfortable. Sasuke saw his nails digging into his own skin, and a part of him wanted to tell Naruto he didn't have to continue, but another part was desperate to know.

"It seems stupid to me now, in a sense. I always feel like I should've gotten over it a while ago, but the doctors say trauma like this takes a long time to get over, if it's even possible to. Basically, whenever I was alone with the guy, he was... I don't know..."

"Did he touch you?" Sasuke felt those words sounded childish, but he could tell Naruto was having a hard time getting them out.

"Yeah," the blond replied, licking his lips once more. Sasuke felt he was doing it as a means to procrastinate continuing. "I knew it was wrong, even back then. It didn't seem like something that should be happening, especially since Tsunade had never done any of the things he had. When I told him one time I wanted to ask my dad about what he was doing, because it felt weird, he pulled out a pair of scissors and..." Naruto winced.

"He didn't cut you, though, right?" Sasuke remembered Naruto mentioning that he'd threatened to castrate him, but he was sure it would have been mentioned if he'd actually injured him.

"No, he didn't. But every time after that conversation, whenever he did anything, he'd have the scissors in his other hand. One day, I tried to pull away and he actually put them around my dick and..." Naruto exhaled slowly. "My dad walked in. I don't really remember much of what happened after that, but all I know is my dad pretty much saved my dick. Ever since then, I've had a problem. The last time I dropped trou in front of someone, I hyperventilated and ended up passing out." Naruto laughed slightly. "The doctor was pretty fucking concerned, especially since I hit my head against the examination bed on my way down."

"I'll bet." Sasuke forced a smirk, even though he knew Naruto couldn't see it. "So... you shower with a towel. I guess you take a leak sitting down, then?"

"Yeah. I've never used a urinal or pissed on the side of the road or whatever." Naruto snorted. "I'm a total prude, which is weird considering I'm a guy."

"Aren't you worried about what it'll be like when you have sex?"

"When I get there," Naruto said with a snort. "Considering my first kiss was two nights ago with you, I don't think I'm in any danger of having to worry about sex."

"You never know," Sasuke said with a smirk. He was glad Naruto got the joke and snorted instead of getting all freaked out.

Then again, it was bad that they could be so casual about something like this.

"Maybe you should try it."

"Try what?" Naruto asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Going to the bathroom like a real guy," Sasuke teased, smirking.

Naruto just snorted again. "Not likely."

"No, I'm serious." The raven reached for the mask he'd started keeping downstairs, pulling it on and getting to his feet. "I mean, wouldn't you like to get over this fear? How worthwhile would your time here have ended up being if you went home totally cured?"

He reached forward and took the other's mostly-finished bowl from his hands, and rested his knee on the futon. Naruto didn't move while Sasuke reached behind him and undid the lock for his mask, pulling it off.

As usual, the blond clenched his eyes shut and blinked a few times before squinting and rubbing at them, trying to get used to the brightness. Then slowly, blue eyes lifted to meet Sasuke's.

"What makes you think I'll be able to do this? I can't even lock the door here."

"I won't come in," Sasuke reassured him. "You trust me, don't you? You told me about the paedophile, so you obviously trust me to a degree. You have to know I won't come in. I know how big of a fear this is."

Naruto stared at him for a long while, then licked his lips and looked away, seeming to think.

"Come on, are you just going to live in fear for the rest of your life?" Sasuke smirked beneath his ski-mask. "Don't be such a chickenshit."

He got a glare for that, and Naruto got to his feet, holding his wrists out. Sasuke undid them, and then bent down to undo the ones around his ankles. Just like Naruto trusted him, Sasuke trusted the blond. So much so that he didn't worry about getting kicked in the face so that Naruto could escape.

Which was good, since the blond didn't do that. He just turned and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind himself.

Smirking slightly, Sasuke went to his chair and picked up _Area Seven_, the next in the Scarecrow series by Matthew Reilly. Moving back towards the bathroom door, he flipped to the page he'd stopped at, and began reading aloud again, trying to keep Naruto's mind off what he was doing. He didn't know that it would work, but he figured it was worth a shot.

Considering everything the blond went through all the time, and adding in the fact that he was positive Itachi was going to make him jack off eventually, he felt it would be in Naruto's best interest to get over this fear quickly.

* * *

**September 24th, 14:03**

"Dude, come on, this isn't working," Naruto insisted, beginning to get annoyed.

He'd always known it was possible to lock someone out of a bathroom but this was the first time he'd ever been locked _in _one. Essyu had barricaded the bathroom door from the outside, and proceeded to ignore him for the past hour and a half until Naruto went to the bathroom.

Every time the blond complained, he would just read louder. Which was bad for Naruto because he was missing parts of the story, but Essyu was good about going back a few pages when the blond told him this.

Still, he didn't know what Essyu expected to happen. After ten years of having this problem, did he really think it was just going to go away overnight? Of course it wasn't! Naruto had tried so hard to pull it out of his pants, and now he was just getting frustrated, not only with Essyu for making him do this, but with himself for not being able to!

It couldn't be that fucking hard, right? Just pull it out, piss, and put it back. It wouldn't be like showering naked, it would just be for a few seconds. Literally long enough for him to do his business, and then back into his pants it would go. So why was it so hard?

"Essyu," he insisted with a sigh, the other getting louder again. "Essyu, come on, this isn't working." He ground his forehead against the door, then turned to lean against it, feeling the slightest twinge of protest from the injuries on his back. He ignored the discomfort, and looked in the mirror at the bruise on his face.

"You think I want this?" he asked quietly. Oddly enough, those words made Essyu stop reading. Or maybe it was his tone. "I don't want to be like this. I wish I could get over this. But I can't. It's not that simple."

"It is if you want to get over it badly enough," Essyu replied.

"Yeah, and what exactly would make me want to get over it?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "I've barely ever jacked off, so it's not like sex is really an incentive for me."

Silence met that statement, then he heard things being shifted and the door opened, the blond pulling away from it. Essyu stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind himself. Naruto eyed him warily.

"You have to stop thinking someone is going to cut off your dick whenever it's out in the open."

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked slowly, the other's hands having moved down to his own jeans, unbuttoning them.

"Just showing you that my dick won't magically fall off."

The blond wanted to tell him he didn't have to do that. Actually, Naruto really didn't _want _him to do that. This was way too intimate, way too close. They couldn't be like this, they were fucking kidnapper and captive, for fuck's sake!

But the words wouldn't form properly, and they definitely wouldn't leave his mouth. So he just watched with sick fascination while Essyu pulled down his fly and pulled his jeans down his thighs.

Naruto was very quickly reminded of the fact that the other was going commando, considering he was now staring at the other's dick. He forced himself to look away, rubbing at the back of his neck and wincing.

"It didn't fall off. Or get cut off."

"That's you, though," Naruto whispered, glancing back at him, though his eyes immediately went down to the other's cock. He also vaguely noted that his pubes were black, and his skin was pale enough to be a vampire. At least he could be happy knowing he'd accurately pictured him in his head. He felt the brief, barely even remembered hint of an image he'd gotten of the other during his attempted escape had probably influenced him, but he chose to ignore that.

"I understand why you can't do it with someone else present, Naruto," the other said, pulling his pants back up, thank God, and doing them up once more. "I just don't see why it's so hard when you're alone."

"It just is," Naruto muttered, crossing his arms.

"Maybe you should try jacking off."

The blond's head snapped back. "What?" He laughed. "You're crazy."

"No, I'm serious." Essyu stared at him intently. "Did you not feel good the few times you did?"

"I don't know, I guess." Naruto shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweats. "I was more focussed on just making the horniness go away, didn't really think much on how I was feeling."

Essyu snorted so loudly, Naruto wondered how such a noise had managed to come out of a human being.

"Do you trust me?"

"What do you mean?" The blond frowned.

"It's a pretty straightforward question." He could hear the smirk in the other's voice.

"Depends on what you're thinking," he said slowly.

"Just say you trust me, Naruto."

The blond licked his lips and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Fine, I trust you."

Essyu turned around and walked back into the basement. Naruto cocked an eyebrow, but then the other returned with his mask. Somehow, the blond didn't think having his eyes covered was going to be a good idea in helping him get over this problem, but he didn't say anything and allowed Essyu to put it back on.

He heard the door close, and wondered for a brief moment if Essyu had left, but then he felt hands on his chest, pushing him backwards until his back hit the opposite wall, the barest hint of a spark of pain shooting up his spine again from his previous injuries. Essyu hadn't pushed hard, but his back hadn't completely healed yet, and while he'd been leaning against it of late, it still stung on occasion if one of his injuries pressed against a hard surface just right.

"What are we doing?" Naruto asked slowly, uncertainly.

"Don't worry," Essyu replied, clearly smirking. "I'm just going to give you a reason to stop being afraid."

Naruto doubted that, but before he could voice his doubt, the other's lips pressed against his own. Essyu moved them slowly against Naruto's, sucking on the blond's bottom lip, then licking along the seam of his mouth, continuously teasing his lips with his own without demanding entrance.

The blond went along with it, trying to mimic the other's actions, and biting down on Essyu's lower lip. He heard a low groan, and for a second, he wasn't sure who it had come from until he realized it was Essyu.

He felt his own breath hitch when cool fingers shifted up beneath his shirt, his stomach muscles jumping at the light touches, the blond grunting when those fingers found ticklish areas. It was weird to compare these touches to the ones he'd gotten from Ayuu at the beginning of his stay. While Ayuu's had been possessive and intent on causing discomfort, Essyu's were light, and sensual.

Pressing his lips harder against the other's, he parted them, and Essyu immediately took advantage of the invitation, pushing his tongue into Naruto's mouth and rolling it around the other's own muscle before exploring the rest of the orifice.

Naruto continued to keep track of the hands, unconsciously moving into the other's touches, enjoying the feel of the rough hands on his skin. Once they seemed done with discovering every inch of his stomach, they moved up to his chest, fingers circling his left nipple while the other hand rubbed against his right one.

Hissing once the kiss was broken, he felt lips slowly making their way down the side of his jaw to his neck. There was no warning before Essyu bit down hard on his pulse, Naruto letting out a loud grunt that could, in all honesty, have actually been a groan.

Tanned hands, which had previously been pressed flat against the wall behind the blond, moved up to bury themselves in soft hair, pulling Essyu closer. He almost let one trail down the other's back before catching himself and remembering the other's injuries. He just kept them both buried in his hair.

Essyu licked and sucked at his pulse for a few more seconds before making his way back up to Naruto's mouth, pressing his lips to the blond's and parting them, offering Naruto the chance to take charge.

Taking the other up on his offer, the blond lazily explored Essyu's mouth, letting his tongue tangle with his until he pulled away and reached down with one hand, catching the kidnapper's wrist when it started into his sweatpants.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Naruto," Essyu murmured against his lips, leaning forward so he could suck on the blond's bottom one.

"It's not that simple."

"Yes it is. You trust me, right? So trust that I won't hurt you."

_I don't think I trust you __**that**__ much, _Naruto thought urgently, but for some reason, he couldn't get the words past his lips.

Essyu's hand hadn't moved or fought against the blond's grip, and maybe that was why he finally released it after a few minutes of silence between them. He didn't think he would ever truly understand why he'd decided to let his wrist go, but he really believed a large part of the reason was because Essyu hadn't tried to keep going.

Trust was earned, and somehow, Essyu had earned his.

Naruto's hands gripped Essyu's shoulders tightly, allowing the other to proceed. He could feel his breath starting to quicken and the kidnapper moved closer to him, biting at his ear for a second before breathing into it.

It took a few seconds for Naruto to realize that the other was trying to make him follow his breathing pattern, and he'd actually kind of unconsciously started to. Every time Essyu inhaled, Naruto would force himself to. Whenever he exhaled, the blond would slowly force the air from his lungs.

Resting his forehead against his own hand on Essyu's shoulder, he struggled to keep the same breathing pattern, Essyu's face now buried in his hair. Every time the other exhaled against his scalp, Naruto did, too.

He forced himself to pay attention to what was happening while following the other's breathing. Essyu was succeeded in making him hard, despite the fact that he wasn't feeling very turned on.

When Essyu shifted even closer, he could feel the other's clothed erection digging into his thigh. Naruto's hands tightened on his shoulders and he grit his teeth. He knew Essyu wasn't expecting anything, which was the only reason he didn't shove the other away.

Naruto's breathing began to quicken, and he struggled to match Essyu's again when he heard a chuckle.

"You're not hyperventilating, moron," the other teased.

A part of Naruto knew that, but another part was worried if he didn't slow his breathing, he soon _would _hyperventilate. His hips were jerking forward of their own accord, and Naruto's brain was screaming at him that this was a bad idea.

He had to stop this. This couldn't happen, not with someone who'd kidnapped him. He wouldn't fucking have Stockholm Syndrome, he refused!

Tightness was beginning to form in his stomach. It was going to be over soon, and he wanted to it to be, so badly, but he didn't at the same time, because he knew in the end if he let this go on any longer it wasn't going to end well for either of them. He couldn't do this, he had to put some distance.

He couldn't trust someone this completely so quickly, that was fucking wrong, things didn't work like that.

Just when release seemed imminent, he shoved Essyu away, hard. He heard the other hit the door from the force of his shove and Naruto turned away from him, covering his clothed cock with both hands.

He could hear Essyu breathing harshly behind him, and it took him a second to realize it was from pain. Because he'd shoved him into the door. His injured back had slammed against the hard surface.

"Can you please get out?" Naruto whispered, feeling like shit for pushing him away, and for hurting him.

Essyu didn't say anything, but he also didn't leave.

"Please just get out," the blond grit through clenched teeth.

A few seconds passed, then the door opened and shut behind him. Naruto stood in the bathroom, trying to will his erection away, his body angry with him for having been so close to release when he'd forced the pleasure to stop.

It took him almost ten minutes to get rid of his erection, and when he opened the door, he was roughly shoved back towards the bed, no doubt in his mind that it was now Ayuu.

Essyu didn't return to speak to him for the rest of the night.

* * *

**September 25th, 10:14**

Sasuke stared across the room at his wall, eyes tracing the many cracks present in the paint. He wondered if maybe he should go out and get some painting supplies and redo the inside of the house. It wasn't like they had any furniture he'd need to cover, and he was sure the landlord would appreciate it.

Basically, he just needed a distraction from Naruto. Any kind of distraction. Something which Itachi was both pleased and unhappy about. It seemed he was glad Sasuke suddenly wanted nothing to do with the blond, but he was unhappy that it meant _he _now had to take care of him.

But Sasuke didn't really want to face him. He hadn't known what he'd been expecting, but to have gotten as far as he had, and then get pushed away when he was positive Naruto was nearing his peak... What kind of message was that? How was he supposed to feel?

Scowling angrily at the wall for not having succeeded in distracting him, he shifted more comfortably onto his stomach and then carefully rolled onto his side to glare across the room out of the window. He was annoyed that Itachi had done this to him. Sasuke had been perfectly fucking happy before his brother had forced Naruto into their lives. Now he felt like he owned him. Like what happened the previous day wasn't meant to have been handled how it was. Why hadn't Naruto just cum?

Why let Sasuke get as far as jerking him off, and then not even fucking release? Wasn't that just contradictory? He was afraid of his cock, not of an orgasm, so how the fuck had that happened?

Growling under his breath, he tried to repeat to himself that it didn't matter because he would never see him again, but that really wasn't helping. It just made him want to go downstairs even more, because he knew that soon, he wouldn't ever see the blond again. He should be taking advantage of the time he had with him, right? But he couldn't fucking do that, because it was making everything harder.

It was a lose-lose for him, and he knew it, which only frustrated him further and made him wonder if it would be possible to kidnap Naruto once a year after they let him go so that Sasuke could do whatever he needed with him.

His door slamming open made the raven jump, and he turned his head to scowl at his brother, still lying on his stomach on his mattress, and found him holding the walkie-talkie out towards him.

"He's driving me insane with his incessant want to talk to you," Itachi snapped, clearly ready to go downstairs and strangle Naruto. "Talk to him before I shoot him."

"Can't you just gag him?" Sasuke muttered, turning his back on his brother and looking out the window again.

The walkie-talkie hit in him the head.

"Ow!" He turned around and hurled the closest book at his closing door. "Asshole!"

The walkie-talkie crackled and he turned to look at it.

_"I'm not going to stop annoying you until you make Essyu take the walkie-talkie back. I got nothin' to do down here, I'm sure I can entertain myself with talking incessantly. And I know you didn't turn me down, because you don't want me to start screaming, which I might do anyway to get Essyu to talk to me."_

Growling and snatching up the walkie-talkie, he depressed the button. "What?"

Silence for a few seconds. _"Oh. I didn't... I thought Ayuu still had the, um... hey..."_

"What?" he repeated.

_"Can you stop being a dick? Clearly I'm trying to explain, you're just too impatient to let me get there. I thought I'd start with a good morning, and ask how your sleep was, and __**then**__ get to the whole 'about last night' thing. But if you're gonna be a dick, I won't even bother telling you what I wanted to say."_

"Fine, then don't." Sasuke threw the walkie-talkie across the room and rolled onto his other side, facing away from the window and the walkie-talkie. His back protested the action angrily, since his annoyance at the blond had caused him to move less carefully than he normally would have.

He expected Naruto to say something, but the machine was silent. After about a minute, he scowled and sat up, stalking over to it and checking it over, wondering if he'd broken it.

It was working fine, which meant the blond was being a stubborn dumbass. Well, Sasuke could be stubborn, too! So he just tossed it back where he'd found it and went back to bed.

His resolve lasted two more minutes before he stomped across the room again and picked it back up.

"Good morning, I slept fine, how are you?"

He released the button, pissed at himself for having given in, but Naruto had that affect on him. It was disconcerting.

_"I'm alive, so I guess that counts for something."_ He heard fidgeting, suggesting he hadn't released the button, which meant he had more to say. _"I missed you last night,"_ the blond muttered. _"I got bored and... I guess I felt kind of alone not having you around."_

Sasuke snorted at that, but had the decency to not snort into the walkie-talkie. "Your own fault."

_"Yeah, I know. I guess I just panicked."_

"You let me get as far as bringing you to the point of completion, and then panicked?" he asked skeptically. "That's the most retarded excuse on the planet."

_"I didn't panic about that,"_ Naruto snapped, obviously defensive. _"I just don't really fancy going home with Stockholm Syndrome, which seems moot considering I think it's too fucking late!"_

Sasuke heard a clatter downstairs, and knew Naruto had just tossed his walkie-talkie across the basement. Unfortunately, unlike Sasuke, he didn't have the luxury of going to pick it up if he changed his mind about talking some more.

The raven sat on his futon for a few minutes, trying to make sense of what the blond had just said. He knew what Stockholm Syndrome was. Of course he did, Sasuke watched television. He also knew it was meant to take a lot longer than this, but to be fair, most of the cases of Stockholm Syndrome he knew about didn't involve as much contact as he and Naruto had had.

They usually consisted of months and months of just brief interactions. Sasuke may as well have been living downstairs with Naruto, at this point. They had clicked so quickly, and the raven had already liked him beforehand so this was just...

"This is bad," he whispered to himself seconds before he heard Naruto scream his name up the stairs.

Leaping to his feet, he hurried out of his room, intercepting Itachi in the corridor. He looked murderous.

"I'll handle it," Sasuke muttered, hurrying to the basement door and opening it, Itachi turning around to head back to his temporary room. "Stop yelling, moron. Ayuu will put a bullet in your head."

"I threw the walkie-talkie away." Naruto almost sounded like he was whining. "I couldn't get it back."

"Then stop tossing it across the room like an idiot," Sasuke insisted, descending the stairs once he'd closed the door at the landing. He turned the corner once he reached the bottom and walked towards the blond, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pyjama pants.

Naruto was looking down into his lap, even though the action was pointless since he couldn't see, but Sasuke supposed it was just habit. He was also playing with the bullet hole present in the blanket, almost widening it. Sasuke figured he'd have to get him another one soon, with the way Itachi kept putting holes in it.

"So," Sasuke said slowly. "Stockholm, huh?"

The blond snorted. "Yeah. Go figure." He shook his head. "It's just... I can't help but feel that under normal circumstances... I think you and I would be better friends than I am with Kiba." Naruto winced, as if feeling bad for having said that. "It's just... weird. I mean, I've not told anyone about the pedo from my childhood, not even Kiba knows. And I certainly haven't ever let anyone touch my dick, and when we were doing, you know, what we were doing yesterday... I felt like if I came because of you it would just make things worse."

He laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Fuck, this is so stupid. I think I actually legitimately like you. I thought stopping you would help me decide I couldn't like you, because if I did, I wouldn't have been able to make you stop, but then all I could think about the whole night was you. Every time the door opened I would hope to hear 'Rule Britannia, Scarecrow' and every time it was just Ayuu and I just..."

The blond inhaled deeply and shook his head again. "This is fucked up. This is so fucked up."

Sasuke let out a sigh and raked one hand through his hair, moving over to the futon and climbing onto it. He shifted closer to the wall beside the blond, but didn't lean back against it—his back wasn't ready for that yet—and stared at the opposite wall, pressing his lips together.

"What's the reverse of Stockholm Syndrome?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Lima Syndrome," Sasuke replied.

"You have that?"

"Yup."

"Hm." The blond shifted so he was leaning back against the wall. "So what do we do now?"

"I have no idea."


	10. The Cure

**A/N: I know, I know, I suck! I'm sorry! Shit happened, then work went crazy, then more shit happened, then Christmas vacation was coming up, then I had a birthday gift to finish then blah blah blah. Bottom line, I'm really, really, really, really sorry! I'm gonna work on editing all the chapters between today and tomorrow so hopefully I can start posting them a bit faster. I'm sorry guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS!  
**

**Disclaimer: All I asked for for Christmas from Santa was Kiba, but apparently K. Masashi and Santa are BFF so that kinda fell through...  
**

* * *

**September 25th, 13:01**

Minato sighed while watching the video loop back to the beginning, eyes on his son when the gun slammed against his face. Based on his boy's words during the video, Minato could only assume that Naruto was doing a stellar job at pissing them off. He wished he'd stop, he wanted to have a child when this was over.

Letting out a sigh and rubbing his face, he reached for his phone when it rang, amazed that this was the first time since his leave that it actually had. Rubbing at his eyes, he pressed the receiver to his ear.

"Hello?"

_"Mr. Namikaze, hello. It's Yamato. I'm sorry to bother you, I was just wanting to check in and see how Naruto was doing."_

Minato smiled slightly, appreciating the thought. "Naruto's..." His eyes moved to the screen and he winced. "He's not doing so well, but I'm hopeful. I'm hoping he'll make a full recovery."

_"I'm glad to hear that. Um, we seem to have a bit of a situation here. One of the staff let slip—"_

The blond man's heart slammed against his ribs and he was ready to panic when the rest of Yamato's sentence made its way into his brain.

_"—that Naruto was ill. The press got a hold of it and apparently they're going to try and get some footage. I don't know if they've arrived yet, but I just thought you should know."_

His heart picked up its pace once more and he blurted out a thank you before hanging up.

"Tsunade!" He bolted from his office, spinning in a circle in the foyer, unsure as to where the woman was before deciding on trying the living room. "Tsunade!"

"Yes?" She appeared at the top of the stairs and he bolted for her.

"We're in trouble! The media's coming! They found out Naruto's sick, and they're trying to get footage!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Tsunade, he's not here! What if they get in?!"

"Calm down, Minato," Tsunade insisted, shaking him hard, once. "Calm down, it's all right. We'll think of something."

The doorbell rang and they both froze. Minato could feel his heart slamming harder against his ribs. He could lie, and say Naruto was at a hospital elsewhere, but that would be easy to confirm. The media had spies everywhere, soon they would know that he wasn't in the hospital.

When the door began to open, both he and Tsunade started hurriedly down the stairs, Minato almost tripping over his own feet in his haste, but stopping when he saw Kiba poke his head into the house. His eyes found Minato's and he winced.

"Sorry to barge in. I just brought my note for tomorrow night." He held up a piece of paper.

Minato stared at him, frowning slightly, a plan slowly forming in his head. He turned to look at Tsunade, and she glanced at him, apparently having the same idea. They both looked back at Kiba, who frowned and looked between them both.

"Why... are you both looking at me like that?"

"Do you think your mother would let me borrow you?" he inquired, continuing down the stairs and hurrying towards Kiba, pulling him fully into the house and poking his head out the door to ensure there was no media. He shooed Kakuzu away and slammed the door in his face.

"I'm—what?" Kiba asked, Minato turning in time to see Tsunade pulling him towards the stairs.

Minato hurried to join her, climbing them on Kiba's other side, and helping the woman drag the confused teen up to the second floor. "You see, we have a bit of a situation."

"Situation?" Kiba asked slowly.

"Yes. Apparently, someone let slip that Naruto is sick and, of course, me being me, the media wants a piece of the story now."

"Wait, him being sick was a secret?" Kiba cocked an eyebrow. "Everyone at school knows that story, I didn't think it was a secret."

"Well, it wasn't, but now that the media is interested, it's a bit of a problem."

Minato and Tsunade pulled Kiba into the blond's room, where the woman promptly began to pull off his shirt, undressing him while he tried to jump away from her, Minato hitting the intercom button and telling Shizune to hurry to the nearest store and buy hair-dye as close to Naruto's colour as possible.

"Whoa! What the fuck is going on!" Kiba smacked at Tsunade's hands, dancing away from her while wearing only his boxers and jeans, the latter already unbuttoned.

"Long story short, Kiba," Tsunade said, moving towards him once more. "We need a sick Naruto. We don't even _have_ a Naruto. _You_are going to be our Naruto."

"Wha—but, wait I don't... I don't even _look _like him! And just—will you stop that?!" Kiba smacked the older woman's hands again. "What are you doing?!"

"Undressing you to get you into bed," Tsunade insisted.

"That... I have no words to that," Kiba said, eying her before turning to Minato, remembering what they were talking about. "Minato, I can't be Naruto. I'm not blond, and I have tattoos." He motioned his face. "I don't even have the same bone structure!"

"They won't notice that," Minato insisted. "If you're sick, you'll be sleeping, they won't have the chance to see your face."

They heard a noise outside and all three of them turned to the window, Minato rushing to it and seeing news vans outside his gates. It was starting. Much too quickly.

"I can't do this, dude!"

"Kiba," Minato said in a low voice, turning to look at him. "Please, calm down and just..." He let out a shaky breath. "If we don't do this, if I can't find a fake Naruto right now, they're going to know he's not sick, and someone will figure it out, and then Naruto will..." he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

The brunet stared at him and shook his head, rubbing his mouth with his hand. "This is too fast. I can't be Naruto right now, I don't even have blond hair!"

"Shizune will be back quickly," Minato insisted, looking out the window again and seeing his guards trying to keep the media out. "The hair isn't a problem, it'll get dyed quickly, and it'll work out."

"I can't go to school on Monday with blond hair, Minato!" Kiba exclaimed, beginning to panic again. "That'll defeat the purpose! I can't do this!"

The blond turned to the other, frowning slightly, then held out his hand, having an idea. "Give me your phone."

"What?"

"Your phone!" He snapped his finger impatiently. "Now."

Frowning, Kiba handed it over and Minato quickly scrolled through his contacts, finding the number he wanted and hitting call. He put the phone to his ear, watching Tsunade pull sleeping pants out of Naruto's drawer and shoving them at Kiba.

_"Mrs. Inuzuka's office."_

"Hi, it's an emergency, I need to speak to her."

_"Who's calling, please?"_

"Minato Namikaze, it's about her son."

"What are you doing?" Kiba demanded, halfway changed into some pyjamas that Minato had never seen before. He knew his son slept in boxers, but supposed he had the pyjamas for vacations or the winter or something.

Tsunade started shoving Kiba towards the bed, even as he argued his hair was still brown.

_"Minato,"_ a woman's voice suddenly said into his ear. _"It's been a long time."_

"It has, hasn't it?" He laughed slightly. "Yes, so good to hear your voice, Tsume. Sorry to call, but this is bad. Kiba got infected by Naruto."

_"Wha—"_

"I know, it's horrible," Minato interrupted her. "I feel so terrible, I'm just—this is awful of me, I'm so sorry. All my fault, of course. Not to panic, I've got the best doctors here for my son, so Kiba will be treated by the best, and he'll be back good as new. Might want to tell the school he's out of commission though."

_"But I—"_

"Again, so terribly sorry, all my fault, feel free to sue me, don't come visit, bye now!" He hung up.

When he looked up at Tsunade and Kiba, they were both staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"You're insane." Kiba laughed and then rubbed his mouth, shaking his head. "You're fucking insane. I can't be Naruto Uzumaki _and _Kiba Inuzuka at the same time!"

"Right now, no one knows about you," Minato insisted, shoving Kiba's phone in his pocket when it began to vibrate, obviously Tsume calling back. "For the moment, we have to focus on getting Naruto set up, then I'll worry about what to do with you."

"What are you gonna do, just keep me here?" Kiba barked out a laugh. "You're going to imprison me here or something?!"

"Kiba, no," Tsunade insisted, putting her hand on his shoulder. "We'll fix what he did, but for now, we just need you. Just for the weekend, just so we can let this die down a little bit. After all, the media won't be interested in this story forever."

Kiba glanced back at Minato, and shook his head. "This is fucking crazy. And this better work, because if Naruto turns up dead, I'm gonna kill you."

The scary part was, Minato could tell Kiba was serious.

* * *

**September 25th, 17:14**

"Are you doing it?"

"I'm getting there!" Naruto snapped through the door, scowling angrily at it before looking back down at his hands, which were currently resting against the hem of his sweat pants.

He didn't know how they'd gone from talking about how fucked they were to Essyu forcing him back into the bathroom to piss standing up, but here he was, in front of the toilet, staring down at his hands.

He'd been threatened with starvation if he didn't take a leak, and now he was worried Essyu might actually follow through on the threat. He doubted it, the other didn't seem the type, but he was still worried.

_Someone jerked me off,_ he reminded himself. _Someone else's hand was on my junk. How can pissing possibly be harder than letting someone touch my dick?_

Letting out a slow sigh, Naruto pushed the pants down to mid-thigh, and stared at his boxers. He knew the flap at the front was for him to piss through, but he couldn't bring himself to pull his cock through it.

"You know," he said through the door to Essyu, "it's weird but now that I think about it, I haven't touched my dick very many times in my life."

"All the more reason to acquaint yourself with it," the other replied, clearly smirking.

"Fuck, why was this so much easier with you?" he demanded, getting frustrated.

The door opened and he turned to look at Essyu, the other staring back through the eyeholes of his mask before shutting the door. Naruto looked away, scowling down at his covered cock angrily.

Essyu moved up behind him, chuckling in his ear before reaching around him with one hand, the other doing something up by his head before joining the first. Naruto tensed, but he didn't say anything, the other's hands running lightly back and forth along his stomach, Essyu's lips kissing up the side of his neck. The blond realized he'd been pulling up his mask so his lips weren't covered.

"I thought we'd agreed this was a bad idea," Naruto insisted, though he definitely didn't mind the attention.

"It is a bad idea, but realistically speaking, it'll hurt when we split no matter how far we've gotten, so I figure I'm not gonna hold back unless you ask me to."

Naruto's breath began to quicken, his hand moving to stop Essyu's when it reached into the flap of his boxers.

"I'm not going to jerk you off," he reassured him. "You just said it was easier with me. I'm making it easier."

Grinding his teeth together, Naruto forced his fingers to loosen, but he didn't pull them away from Essyu's wrist. The other reached into the flap of his boxers, and slowly guided him out of the flap.

The blond's hand shifted from the other's wrist to covering himself, feeling like a fucking child, but Essyu didn't push it. He just paused and waited until Naruto finally forced his hand to his side and the other pulled him completely from his boxers.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Essyu bit at his earlobe. "If it's all the same to you, though, I'd rather not hold your dick while you piss. I'm not really into that."

Essyu grabbed Naruto's hand with his free one and brought it up, wrapping his fingers around it before retreating.

"I'll wait outside."

Naruto didn't say anything. He just stared down at his own hand wrapped around himself, the door shutting beside him. He continued to stare down at it, the cold air hitting the sensitive appendage feeling odd after so many years of him always keeping it covered.

Licking his lips and deciding he was going to do this now before he freaked and stuffed it back into the safety of his boxers, he aimed and let out a slow breath.

* * *

**September 25th, 17:29**

Sasuke shifted his weight from one foot to the other while standing beside the door, listening intently for movement inside. All he could really hear was Naruto's breathing, and he was almost about to consider going back in when he heard the other finally release.

Smirking slightly, and somewhat proud of himself for having made a difference, he knew it was a far step from the blond being healed, but hey, he was pissing standing up. That had to count for something.

Next, maybe he'd even be able to shower naked. If Sasuke managed that, he would feel all right with getting all that money from Minato. He would consider it payment for his services. That was, provided he actually succeeded, considering there was no guarantee. For all he knew, Naruto had just sat down once he'd exited the room.

The toilet was flushed and he heard the tap going before the door opened, the blond emerging with a grin on his face.

"I feel lame for being proud of myself."

Sasuke snorted and motioned him towards the futon, walking along behind him while the other bounced towards it.

"You're not lame. It's a big deal for you. Provided you didn't cheat and sit down."

"I didn't." The blond fell onto his futon and grinned at Sasuke. "It definitely wasn't easy, and I kept wanting to, but," he shrugged, "you're right. I have to get over it. I can't exactly curl up into a ball when it comes time for sex. And it's been a long time since then. As long as Ayuu doesn't keep threatening to shoot my dick off, hopefully I'll make progress."

"Indeed," Sasuke said with a smirk, moving to the bathroom to quickly wash his hands and grabbing the blond's mask once more. He returned with it, Naruto sighing and leaning forward so it could be put back on.

Then the raven did up all of his cuffs and sat down in his usual chair, removing his own mask. He picked up _Area Seven_, making sure it was on the right page, and asked Naruto if he wanted him to continue reading. The blond seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah, let's talk a bit more."

Sasuke snorted. "About what? Haven't we run out?"

"Of course not!" Naruto sounded appalled. "I know I can't ask you for any personal stuff, but I mean, I'm sure there are things we can continue to discuss! Like your take on superhero movies, for example."

The raven chuckled and shook his head, marking the correct page in the book before closing it and getting comfortable in his seat. "Superheroes, huh?"

"Hey, who didn't wanna be a superhero when he was a kid?" Naruto grinned at him. "I've always wanted superspeed, personally. Can you imagine how fit you'd be with that power?"

"You're already fit," Sasuke argued.

"Not right now!" Naruto laughed loudly. "You keep stuffing me full of food and I spend all day sitting on a futon! I'm gonna be a whale when I get out of here!" He continued to laugh and Sasuke gave a small chuckle.

"You're not a whale, moron." The raven started to lean back in his seat when pain shot through him and he shifted forward again, fidgeting slightly with his hands, though unable to understand why.

"Of course not. Not yet. Depends how much you keep feeding me," Naruto said with a grin.

"Hn." Sasuke stared down at his right hand, confused.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," the raven replied, clenching his hand into a fist and looking back at Naruto. "Just feeling a little edgy, I guess. Been happening on and off for the past few days, but it feels worse today for some reason."

"Well, obviously." Even though he couldn't see the eye roll, he knew it had happened behind the mask. "That's kind of what happens when someone quits smoking."

Sasuke stared at the other, confused. "I haven't quit smoking."

"Oh really?" The blond grinned. "When was your last cigarette?"

"I don't know, a few days ago?"

"Point and case." Naruto seemed pleased with himself. "I helped you kick a dirty habit, you helped me take a piss standing up. We're about even now."

"I haven't quit smoking," Sasuke insisted with a snort. "It hasn't been long enough for you to make that assumption. I haven't had a smoke in three days, tops."

"Yeah, which to a smoker, is huge. You're on your way to quitting, that's for sure. And it's not a bad thing, why are you acting like it is?" Naruto shrugged. "You just decided to stop one day."

"I think it's more I found a new addiction," Sasuke whispered.

Naruto smiled slightly at that and laughed, shaking his head. "Seriously, we're so screwed. You should've been a dick to me, then this wouldn't have happened."

"I guess." Sasuke rubbed his hands along his thighs. "But it's hard to be mean to someone who looks as depressed as I do."

"Eh, you don't seem as depressed anymore." Naruto beamed at him. "And I don't _feel_ as depressed anymore. I guess I just needed someone to rant about my dad to who wouldn't take _his _side."

"His side?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Tsunade always tries to defend him." Naruto snorted. "Says he does what he does for me but I'm not that stupid. Dad cares about money, and that's it. Money is the bane of my existence."

Sasuke sighed lowly, raking one hand through his hair. "I don't really like money, either. Honestly, I would be happy right now with the amount we got from your dad. As long as I get to go back to school, I'm not really that picky. But that isn't what Ayuu wants." Sasuke clicked his teeth together, realizing he shouldn't be talking about their "master plan" with Naruto.

"Don't worry, I know you can't tell me. But either way, whatever happens, I hope you go back to school." The blond smiled at him. "Who knows, maybe you'll end up at my school and I'll never even know it's you and you'll make me fall for you all over again." The blond waggled his eyebrows. Sasuke could only tell because of the way his mask shifted.

Snorting, the raven picked the book back up. "Doubt it. Come on, moron, shut up and let me read to you."

* * *

**September 26th, 07:24**

Naruto felt someone kick him in the back, a snort escaping his lips loudly, the blond assuming he'd been in the middle of a snore when he was roughly awakened.

"Get up."

Reaching up to rub his eyes before remembering they were covered, he turned his head to look behind himself—again, a moot point—and frowned slightly. It didn't sound like Essyu, and for a second, he'd forgotten that there was another kidnapper in the house.

"Ayuu?"

"Get up!"

He was wrenched to his feet roughly, and he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on. Had the kidnappers been found out or something? God, he hoped not. He wasn't ready to say bye to Essyu. Seemed sad he wanted to stay more than he wanted to go home, but testament to his horrible home life. He knew others had it worse off, but neglect was a form of abuse, too.

"What's going on?" he demanded, even as Ayuu started undoing his cuffs.

"Shut up."

The blond decided to just keep his mouth shut, considering how Ayuu was acting. He let him undo the cuffs around his wrists and ankles, and then his mask was ripped off. Naruto rubbed at his eyes, trying to wake himself up more, but let out a startled shout when he was yanked off the futon and positioned in the middle of the room.

He noticed the video camera sitting on a tripod across the room, and wondered if Ayuu was just doing the next recording and didn't want his brother around to stop him. A lump formed in Naruto's throat, and he forced himself to swallow it down.

"Once the camera rolls, undress," Ayuu ordered.

All the colour drained from Naruto's face. "What?"

"Do I stutter?" Ayuu was definitely in a bad mood. Usually he wasn't so vocally annoyed. "Get undressed, down to your boxers."

The blond let out a slow, quiet sigh, and nodded his consent. Whatever this was, it wasn't what he thought. He was relieved, now, and just watched Ayuu move to the camera, gun aimed at him. He hoped he wasn't going to get shot.

The beep sounded, indicating it was rolling, and the blond reached behind himself to yank at the collar of the shirt he'd gotten from Essyu. Yanking it off, he let it fall to the ground. Then, he reached for his pants, feeling uncomfortable having Ayuu watching him so intently, but he was still wearing boxers, so he forced himself to pull them down, removing them from around his ankles and kicking them away.

Ayuu motioned for him to turn, so cocking an eyebrow, the blond did as he was told, turning his back to him.

Then, he heard Ayuu speak, but his voice was distorted and weird, and he realized he was probably using an app or something like they did in the movie _Scream _so that the killers wouldn't be recognized. In this case, a kidnapper. He liked kidnappers better than killers, personally.

"Just proving to you that he's being taken care of. His back is healing, denoting time has passed, and nothing is infected. You provided more money than was discussed in the last drop. You're welcome to do that as much as you want, but it will not shorten the length of your son's stay."

Naruto turned back around, facing the camera again, and crossed his arm. "He gave you more money? Shocking, did he do that of his own volition?"

Ayuu just stared at him and the blond snorted.

"What, I was just asking. Lord knows nothing is more important to that man than money." Naruto headed back for the futon, picking up his various articles of clothing and beginning to pull them on before sitting down on it and reaching for his ankle cuffs. "Can we finish up? I wanna get back to sleep."

He could tell Ayuu wasn't pleased with him, but the other merely stopped the recording and then headed over to him, snapping all the cuffs back into place. He glared at the blond and then stood, turning to find the mask and forcing it rather painfully back onto Naruto's face.

The blond let out a grunt, but made no other sounds, and soon, Ayuu left his side, and he could hear him gathering up his things before heading up the stairs.

"Nice chatting with you," Naruto called after him sarcastically. "Always a pleasure."

The door at the top of the landing slammed shut and Naruto snorted before rolling over and going back to sleep.

* * *

**September 26th, 11:29**

"Oh shit," Tsunade said, hurrying through the house. "Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." She knocked insistently on Minato's office door once she reached it, the other calling for her to enter the room.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked with a frown.

"Problem. Big problem."

"Did the media get through the gates?" he asked, standing quickly.

Tsunade wished that were the case. "No, it's worse. Much worse."

The doorbell rang and she turned to stare at it fearfully. Tsunade was not easily intimidated. In fact, she was rather scary to most people, but she did not want to open the door.

"Who is it?" Minato asked, moving up beside her.

Loud banging suddenly echoed through the entrance hall. "I am going to sue you! This is kidnapping!"

"It's Tsume," Tsunade said, turning to look at Minato. "This is all yours."

Minato turned to her fearfully, the pounding continuing while the other woman yelled profanities through the door. Eventually, the blond man walked over to open it, and Tsunade winced when he was almost punched in the face.

"Whoa, easy. Easy, Tsume!"

"You can't just hijack my son, Namikaze!" The woman yelled at him, shaking him by the front of his shirt. "If your moron of an idiot infected my Pookie, he's coming home with _me_, where I can watch him to make sure he doesn't die!"

"Momma?"

Everyone's eyes turned to look at the teen standing at the top of the stairs.

Tsunade would have face-palmed were she not long before that generation. Kiba was standing on the landing, the concealer he'd been wearing since the day before to hide his tattoos still partially present, and his hair blond. Truthfully, blond was a good look for him, but that wasn't really the issue here.

"Kiba?" Tsume asked slowly.

"What did you let her in for?!" The Inuzuka flailed his arms. "She's gonna ruin everything!"

"Ruin what?" Tsume demanded, looking at Minato, then back up at her son, then Minato again. "What's going on? I thought Kiba was sick."

Tsunade glanced up the stairs at Kiba, the other shaking his head at her, mouthing 'no,' silently telling her that his mother couldn't know. She kind of agreed, if only because she knew Tsume would never allow Kiba to cover for his best friend, even if it meant life or death. Not that the situation had ever arisen before, but she felt inclined to believe that.

"Someone tell me what is going on right now!" Tsume demanded, glaring at each of the other three in turn.

Tsunade's mind was blank. A part of her wanted to stand up to Tsume and just demand she leave, but considering the master of the house was not two feet away from her, looking like a zombie, she couldn't exactly do much.

"I'm doing Naruto's dad a favour," Kiba blurted out, Tsunade turning to look up at him. He gave her a helpless look, shrugging slightly, then faced his mother again. "See, Naruto had to get airlifted out to a special hospital in, um... Japan."

_Japan? _Tsunade wondered silently.

"Yeah, so, to stop the media from finding out, I agreed to pretend to be him until he was safely gone, and um, we knew you'd be against it because I know how you feel about hair dye, so we tried to make me seem sick."

"Oh." Tsume beamed. "Why didn't you just say so, Pookie? I'm glad you're all right. We can go home now, then, right? Naruto's been taken away?"

Silence.

Tsunade looked up at Kiba, who stared blankly at his mother. Apparently, he had nothing.

"I need Kiba," Minato suddenly blurted out. "Yes, he uh... Naruto's birthday is soon. And even though he's sick, I need Kiba's help with the preparations and the guest list and the... sizing."

Everyone stared at him.

"For his tux. They're the same size, right?"

"Minato, is everything all right?" Tsume eyed him. "You're acting weird."

"He's just stressed!" Tsunade insisted, hurrying to the woman's side and leading her towards the exit. "Big deal coming up, sick son, you know how it is." She practically shoved the woman towards the door, biding her a good day and slamming it, letting out a slow sigh.

"This is never gonna work," Kiba insisted from the top of the stairs. "I can't be me and Naruto at the same time. It's not possible."

"Well, for Naruto's sake, you're going to have to try," Tsunade insisted.

* * *

**September 26th, 14:57**

"Dude! I pissed!"

Naruto knew that wasn't exactly the reaction most people had when exiting the bathroom, but for someone who'd had a phobia of being naked for pretty much his entire life, even if it had taken him almost five minutes to get his dick out of his boxers, he'd managed, and he was proud of it.

"You know, were I anyone else, I would think you were insane for that statement," Essyu said, clearly amused while helping lead the blond back over to his futon.

"But you're not anyone else," Naruto said with a grin. "You're Essyu, and you know my deep, dark secret." He let out a fake gasp and then laughed, falling onto his futon and holding out his hands for Essyu to cuff him back up.

"You think you'll be ready to shower naked soon?"

Naruto snorted. "Hey man, I just barely managed to pee, how about we not push it?"

"Why not? I figure I can have you completely cured by the time you leave."

Snorting again, the blond got comfortable on the futon. "If you manage to get me to shower naked before I leave, I'll let you fuck me."

Silence met that statement.

"Those are dangerous words, Uzumaki."

"Only if you succeed, and only if I don't mean it." The blond grinned. "Now, continue with the reading, slave." He clapped his hands and heard a snort.

"Slave? I'm a slave now?"

"Clearly. I mean, you do everything for me save for wiping my ass when I take a dump."

"Thanks for that lovely mental image," Essyu snorted. Naruto just grinned more, hearing the other turning pages, obviously looking for the right one. He was eager to find out more about the master plan. He hoped terrorists wouldn't ever read these books because they would get some pretty awesome ideas.

"Hey, Essyu?"

"Hn?"

"Has... My dad, I mean... He's been paying, right?"

He knew Ayuu had commented on the amount early that morning, but a part of Naruto wasn't sure he was being truthful about it, and it made him curious.

He heard the other close the book, and winced, wondering what was coming. He didn't like to think his dad wasn't paying for him, because it would mean Essyu would never go back to school, but he also didn't like knowing he was actually being paid for. It made things seem weirder between him and Essyu. Not that anything about their relationship was normal, but still.

"Yeah, he has." Essyu seemed like he wanted to say more, but he didn't. "We'll probably be doing the next video soon. Next drop is tonight."

"Video? Ayuu's already done it."

Silence for a few seconds, then he heard the other's voice once more. It was positively arctic.

"What?"

"It was no big deal." Naruto shrugged. "He came down sometime this morning and just made me show that my back was healing. He didn't do anything, for once. I think he was tired."

"I'll be right back."

Naruto straightened when he heard the other stand. "Essyu, don't, it's not worth it. He didn't even really do anything." He could hear him climbing the stairs. "Essyu! Shit."

He felt like he shouldn't have said anything. He didn't want the other to get in trouble again. God only knew what Ayuu would do. Probably belt him again, which he really didn't think Essyu would be able to handle. Considering it was obvious his back still hurt, he wasn't looking forward to having the other show up in the middle of the night again for some first aid.

Leaning back against the wall with a sigh, Naruto couldn't help but wonder if maybe it _would _be possible for him to end up having a shower without a towel while he was here. After all, he was already taking a leak without sitting down, and it had only been one day since he'd attempted to get over his fear. Sure, it still took him five minutes to whip it out, but he did eventually.

Essyu was right about the "something to look forward to" approach. Sure, the few times he'd jacked off, it had felt pretty good, even if he'd been focussing entirely on finishing, but when Essyu had done it... It was different when he couldn't control the speed and the tightness. It had felt exhilarating, and while he knew it was weird that the other touching him didn't bother him like it should, he was _glad _Essyu could touch him so intimately and not get a negative reaction.

He was actually hopeful that one day he'd be able to have sex without freaking out. Considering Essyu had done for him what no doctors had ever been able to, he was willing to believe he cared for the other more than he realized.

Which was bad. Oh so very bad. Because really, what was he going to do once he was out? Hire a detective to find Essyu for him? Unlikely. He wouldn't have much to go on other than he had a low, condescending voice, his chuckle was sexy, he was about Naruto's height, and he had black eyes.

Hurray for him, he just described half the world's population. No, he knew once he was out that this wasn't going to keep up. Especially not if Ayuu had anything to say about it. But what if maybe Naruto signed, like, a waiver or something? Stating that he would never, ever tell anyone who they were?

_Ayuu would never risk that, _Naruto decided with a scowl. He knew Ayuu cared for his brother too much. He'd never said it, of course, but just the way he acted and how threatened he felt by Naruto and Essyu's relationship proved to him that Ayuu cared a great deal about his little brother.

A part of him wondered if maybe that wasn't why this was happening. Maybe because Essyu had dropped out of school, Ayuu had snapped and directed his rage at the reason behind their financial troubles, being Naruto's father. Still, whatever the case, the blond wasn't hoping for any kind of reward in terms of his being able to stay in touch with Essyu.

Though it'd be cool if they could be pen pals or something.

He looked up when he heard the door at the landing open and shifted forward, listening to the footsteps descending the stairs. They were light, but not quiet enough to be Ayuu, so he figured it was just Essyu being quiet.

"If you're trying to sneak, I can hear you," he said, only letting out a half-grin since he wasn't positive it was Essyu.

He felt the futon sag in front of him, and for a second, he thought it _was _Ayuu, but then a forehead rested lightly against his shoulder and he heard a low exhale.

Hesitating, the blond brought his hands up and wrapped them around the other's waist, being sure not to touch anywhere near where he knew some of the more painful wounds were on Essyu's back.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. He just told me what he did, and then went to his room to work."

"Okay, so what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to be close to you."

Naruto let out a sigh, letting his head fall back and closing his eyes, thumbs rubbing lightly against the other's skin through his shirt.

"We're setting ourselves up, you know," he murmured.

"Think of it as summer camp," Essyu said with a snort. "It's just for a little while. Then we pretend it never happened and move on."

"Not really the kind of ending I was looking for," the blond insisted, also snorting.

"Well, sadly, it's all you're gonna get. I still don't even know why I like your stupid ass."

"Hey," Naruto insisted. "My ass is fucking sexy, that's why."

"Wouldn't know, haven't had the pleasure yet," Essyu teased, and Naruto grinned.

He felt lips brush against his own, and pressed back into the other's touch, parting his own lips to grant Essyu's tongue access. And just like that, he found himself getting more practice kissing. Soon, Essyu had pushed him onto his back on the futon, and was rocking his hips down into Naruto's, but the blond had no objections.

In essence, Essyu was right. Even if their time together would be short, they already knew so much about one another—he knew a lot about Essyu, considering he was a kidnapper who shouldn't divulge _anything_—and they clearly had some kind of magnetic attraction that they couldn't fight no matter how hard they tried.

Life was too short for regrets, and even though Naruto knew it was going to hurt when they parted ways, he definitely didn't want to regret not having done anything about it while they'd been together.

* * *

**September 27th, 01:13**

Kiba stared at the ground in front of him, listening to the sound of a clock ticking loudly from somewhere in the vicinity. He wasn't exactly sure where it was located, but every second echoed loudly throughout the large foyer, and he let out a sigh, resting his face in his hands, his elbows supported on his thighs.

He resisted the urge to check his watch, if only because he knew not much time had passed since he'd last looked at it. But still, he just didn't understand what was taking so long, and the waiting was making him a little antsy. He shifted on the top step, trying to make his butt not fall asleep, and finally heard the front door open.

Jerking to his feet, he hurried down them, stopping at the bottom and seeing Minato staring at him in the moonlight streaming in through one of the large windows overlooking the entrance.

"What are you doing up?"

Kiba shrugged. "No school. And I know tonight was a drop off. I just wanted the chance to see the video with you."

Minato looked like he was going to argue, or even flat out refuse, but he just sighed and nodded, motioning Kiba to follow him.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweats, the brunet-turned-blond did so, moving behind the older man. He could tell how exhausted Minato was, and how stressed he was. How badly he just wanted his son back. As much as he couldn't help but hate the guy because of how he'd treated Naruto over the years, he could also acknowledge that the man realized he'd done wrong and regretted it.

"What do you say to the bank?" he asked in a low voice, following Minato into his office and around his desk.

When the older man shook his mouse, Kiba saw it was still looping the previous DVD, the sound muted. He figured that was what Minato did every time he got a new one.

"It's not unusual for me to ask for large sums of money at a time," Minato explained, popping the old disc out and putting in the new one while simultaneously unmuting it. "I asked for five times the amount requested the last time I went to the bank, so it's less suspicious. I'm not taking out little bits at a time, I'm taking out large sums interspersed throughout the week."

"Right." Kiba shifted his weight. "Do you think anyone is going to find out? About Naruto?"

"I'm hoping not," he whispered, hitting the play button when he was prompted about the disc.

Kiba leaned forward slightly to get a better look, and saw the same message as before pass across the screen. The "are you watching?" message. He figured it was at the beginning of every video.

When the image changed to Naruto, he was standing in the middle of the room he was presumably being held in, and he reached back to yank off his shirt. Kiba cocked an eyebrow, wondering what was going on. Even more so when the pants came off next, but he noticed Minato bring one hand to his mouth, and was certain he could hear a silent mantra of "no, no, no, no," under the man's breath.

When he was down to his boxers, the blond turned around, and Kiba noticed the older man beside him visibly relax. He looked back at the screen, and saw the image zooming in on his friend's back. He could just barely see lines on his skin, the picture grainy and definitely not stellar quality.

He recalled Naruto mentioning being belted in one of the videos, and figured this was the aftermath. Not the same day, of course, because he could tell even with the shitty quality that the wounds were old. Not too old, but old enough. At least five or six days old. They were scabbing over and some looked pretty much healed.

_"Just proving to you that he's being taken care of."_ A voice said over the speakers, sounding distorted. Obviously the motherfucker trying to disguise his voice. _"His back is healing, denoting time has passed, and nothing is infected. You provided more money than was discussed in the last drop. You're welcome to do that as much as you want, but it will not shorten the length of your son's stay."_

"Damn," Minato hissed, and Kiba could tell he was genuinely pissed by that. "I gave him more today, too, in hopes that it would quicken his return."

Kiba was about to say something but Naruto interrupted him on the screen and he leaned closer to listen. Naruto was further away so his voice wasn't as loud, but he made out his words decently well.

_"He gave you more money?"_ Naruto asked, now facing the camera once more and crossing his arms. _"Shocking, did he do that of his own volition?"_

Minato tensed and Kiba couldn't help but wince. He wondered if Naruto had any idea how hard his dad was taking this. Probably not. And based on how he was acting with the kidnapper, he obviously hadn't gotten Kiba's "shut the fuck up" note. That, or he'd ignored it, but Kiba felt more inclined to believe he'd never gotten it. Didn't mean he would stop writing them.

_"What, I was just asking,"_ Naruto said again on the screen after having snorted. _"Lord knows nothing is more important to that man than money."_

Kiba winced again and avoided looking at Minato, because he didn't want to see the other man's face at those words.

_"Can we finish up? I wanna get back to sleep."_

The screen went black, showing off the next drop and date, though even Kiba could tell by now that it was every three days. Still, he figured it was just a precaution. Minato must've felt so, as well, because he paused it on that screen, stared at it intently, then leaned back in his seat.

"Is that really what he thinks?" the older man asked in a low voice.

Kiba wished he'd walked out of the room once the video had finished, because he knew he didn't want to have this conversation. If he lied, he knew Minato would call him on it. If he told the truth, he knew the older man would be hurt.

But really, the Inuzuka's loyalty lay with Naruto, so he decided on the truth.

"Yes."

"I see." Minato definitely sounded upset, though he did well with not showing it. "I guess he didn't get my note. I told him I would happily give up my company if he asked me to."

"Naruto knows you like your job," Kiba insisted, raking one hand through his hair and wincing, hating how it felt like straw due to the dye. "He just likes knowing you care about him, too."

"I do care." Minato turned to him, looking desperate. "I've always cared!"

"No offense, but when my mother misses my birthday, she makes sure to throw me the biggest party on the planet within the next week." He pressed his lips together. "Not that she ever has missed one, but you know, if she did, I know she'd make sure I knew she was sorry, and that she wanted me to have a good time, and she'd be there to watch me enjoy myself. Every time you miss Naruto's birthday, you buy him a car or something." Kiba shrugged. "Haven't you clued in by now that Naruto only ever wants to drive that beat up piece of shit you won't let him touch?"

"I thought teenage boys liked cars," the blond man insisted.

"They do. Mostly. But Naruto would rather have you spend time with him without your Blackberry permanently attached to your face." Kiba shrugged again. "You asked for honesty, and that's it. You're a shitty dad."

Though he hadn't meant to say that last bit, he felt it was good for Minato to hear it. Especially when he turned back to the screen and said, "I know."

"Did it really take losing Naruto for you to figure that out, though?" the brunet perched on the edge of the desk, eying the older man. "Because that's fucked up. What are your plans for when he gets home?"

Minato seemed somewhat happy he'd asked, and Kiba could only assume it was because he wanted some kind of sign that he was doing something right. Which, the brunet supposed, was good since it would suck if Naruto returned and his father brought him to the office to teach him how to take over. He was pretty sure his best friend would hunt those kidnappers back down to go with them wherever it was they went.

"I'm still thinking about it, but I was hoping, if he's even willing to spend that much time alone with me, that he and I could go on a vacation somewhere." Minato held up his hand when Kiba opened his mouth to interrupt. "No computers, no cell phones, no nothing. I'd have only Tsunade know where we were in case of an emergency—and she'd know what constitutes an emergency—and it would just be... me and Naruto. Wherever he wants to go. Nothing else. Though I was thinking of bringing his photo albums so we could go through them and he could tell me a bit about things I've missed."

Kiba eyed him for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not his best friend would like that. "I think that's a good idea, but my advice? Stay in the state."

"Why?" Minato asked, frowning in confusion.

"Naruto's not big on travelling, to be honest. Every time he comes to my summer cabin, he bitches and whines about it and it's only one state over." He grinned slightly. "He likes camping, though. I think that would be your best bet. If you bought a new cell phone and gave only Tsunade the number, you could still hold up your end of the deal. And I know tons of good camping spots in the area."

The brunet frowned, rubbing his jaw. "Though... it's almost October so it's a little cold for camping, but I think he'd enjoy it anyway. And being out in the middle of nowhere might be some good bonding time for you."

"You know, that's actually a really good idea." Minato smiled at him. "I'm sure I can invest in a whole bunch of heating blankets and the like. I should be able to pull it off." He looked back at the screen. "I'm not really into nature, but if Naruto likes camping, I'll go camping with him."

"I think he'd really appreciate it." Kiba grinned and patted his shoulder. "You should talk to my momma more. She's good about juggling her job and her kids. Hana and I spend more time trying to run away from her than anything else." He snickered. "But I love my mom, and I love that she makes time for us. That's all Naruto ever wanted from you."

"Well, I plan on giving it to him when he gets back." He turned and smiled at Kiba. "Thank you, Kiba. I feel... not better, but relieved, I suppose. You know Naruto probably better than anyone, so thank you for your insight."

"Hey, anytime." Kiba grinned, standing and heading for the door. "But seriously, talk to my mom. I know her company's nowhere near as big as yours, but I'm sure she'll have some pointers for you on how to not neglect your kid." He waved goodnight and headed out the door towards the stairs.

_And as horrible of a person as this is going to make me seem, I'm kind of glad Naruto got kidnapped, because now you'll finally pay attention to him, like he always wanted, _Kiba thought to himself, climbing the stairs to Naruto's room so he could get some sleep.

The video had been pretty tame, considering the previous one, and the insinuated whipping one, so he knew he wouldn't have any trouble sleeping, but he was kind of glad that things seemed to be going all right.

Minato cared about his son, Naruto wasn't dead, at least one of the kidnappers was nice... They may all come out of this stronger than ever before.

Though Kiba was still going to kick Naruto's ass for scaring him like this.

Not. Cool**.**


	11. Trust

**A/N: I know, I know, I suck. Christmas vacation didn't work out as planned. I'm trying! Please give me props for trying :( Anyway, here's the next one, hope it's enjoyed!  
**

**Disclaimer: I tried getting Kishimoto Masashi drunk and sign a Letter of Direction waiving any and all rights to Kiba, but apparently he was just pretending to be drunk and had me arrested. Again.  
**

**Also, Ice Station, Area Seven, and Scarecrow all still belong to Matthew Reilly who is the best author of all time forever and always.  
**

* * *

**September 27th, 09:04**

Sasuke let out a slow breath, his mind still drifting blissfully in dreamland despite knowing that soon, wakefulness was going to conquer and most probably win, but he didn't let that bother him. He was much too immersed in his dreams to worry about what waking up would entail.

Which was why it was quite rude of his brother to kick him in the shin as a wakeup call. Jerking up and blinking tiredly, he looked around in confusion before looking up at his brother, who was scowling down at him.

"Essyu. Upstairs. Now."

What the fuck was he calling him Essyu for?

The answer came when he heard someone else inhale, and a groggy voice ask what was going on. Rolling over, he saw Naruto lying behind him, pressed up against the wall.

Shit, Sasuke had fallen asleep downstairs. He hadn't meant to, of course, but even as he'd started drifting, he'd been confident he would wake up before morning and head upstairs. Apparently, he'd been wrong. This wasn't good, Itachi was going to murder him.

"Get up," Itachi snapped, clearly losing his patience.

"All right, I'm coming," he grunted, getting to his feet and stumbling sleepily after his brother, rubbing at his eyes.

He and Naruto had ended up talking for a while after they'd made out. It hadn't been anything intimate, mostly just discussions on movies and sports, but just the act of having made out and then lying next to one another talking had been kind of nice. Sasuke had never had that before, and he knew for a fact Naruto hadn't, either.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he let out a sigh when he exited the basement and the door was slammed behind him. It wasn't exactly a secret that Itachi wasn't pleased.

"I was reading to him and fell asleep," Sasuke said before his brother could ask, taking a seat at the kitchen table and yawning loudly.

"On his futon?"

"My back hurt from sitting in the chair." He hadn't meant it as a slam, but he could tell by the way Itachi's face darkened that he'd perceived it as one. "I was lying on my stomach, reading to him for a while. Then we talked about movies we liked, and I must have dozed off."

"Do you realize he could have strangled you in your sleep?"

"Do you really think he's that stupid?" Sasuke asked dryly. "He knows if he kills me you'll kill him. And how would he have escaped after having killed me before you got down there?"

"Where are your keys?"

Sasuke tried his best not to react but he'd honestly forgotten about the keys being in his pockets. He reached down subtly to pat them and was pleased to still find them there. Considering how things were developing between himself and the blond, he really wasn't too surprised to find them still present, but he couldn't tell Itachi that.

He knew his brother probably had his suspicions, but he also knew Itachi probably thought he was smarter than that. Sasuke wished he _was _smarter than that, but shit happens and it wasn't like he could control who he liked.

Sadly, that was something he'd yet to master.

"How was the drop?" he asked after Itachi had turned away from him, clearly feeling he'd made his point.

He was now pouring himself a bowl of cereal, which Sasuke found was getting a little unnerving. He couldn't recall seeing his brother eat anything else for a while.

"Successful. He added double again."

Sasuke tensed, wondering if that would mean Naruto going home earlier.

"I told him in the last video that wasn't going to get his son released any earlier, but apparently he's going to keep trying."

Letting out a slow breath, Sasuke raked one hand through his hair, and glanced at Itachi when his brother turned to stare at him. And he stared _hard_.

"What?" the younger Uchiha demanded, feeling uncomfortable with the intensity of his brother's gaze.

"You didn't argue."

"So?"

"You always argue." Itachi's eyes narrowed and he moved closer. "Something I should know, Sasuke?"

"No," he said defiantly, holding the other's gaze, despite how much his brain screamed at him to look away.

The two of them had a staring match for what felt like hours before Itachi finally turned to head into his room, Sasuke letting out a slow breath.

"Don't piss me off, little brother," Itachi said from down the corridor. "I don't think your back could handle one-hundred and five hits."

Wincing, the raven stood and moved towards the fridge to find something to make Naruto for breakfast.

* * *

**September 28th, 12:43**

"Oh come on, tell me!"

"No."

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Tell me, tell me, tell me! Tell, tell, tell!"

"You're obnoxious," Sasuke sighed, resisting the urge to smack the blond moron while he took another bite of his ramen. "Do you have any idea what I was like as a child?"

"Um, now that you mention it, no. No I don't." Naruto grinned at him. "Feel free to fill me in."

Sasuke snorted, having somewhat almost forgotten the other hadn't known him back then. Didn't even technically know him right now.

"Well, I was less... this."

"What's 'this'?"

"Less stoic. Less guarded."

"Did you wanna be a superhero?" Naruto teased, nudging him in the side. "Because if so, that's totally cool. I wanted to be a dog when I was three so, you know." The blond shrugged and continued to eat.

Sasuke let out a chuckle, shifting slightly so he had less weight resting on his legs and was more comfortably seated, hating that it still hurt to lean back. He was beside the other on the futon, Itachi having been holed up in his room all day. He was confident if the other came downstairs, he would hear him fast enough to be able to move before he was caught, again.

Considering the fact that Sasuke had woken up four times during the night with Itachi checking in on him after yesterday, he knew his brother wouldn't take too kindly to him sitting beside the kidnapped teenager.

"I wanted to be a firefighter," Sasuke said before letting out a snort. "Which, I guess, is kind of like a superhero."

"Not in your future now?" Naruto asked, licking broth off his lips.

Sasuke's eyes had strayed to them briefly at the action but he forced himself to look elsewhere, since while he enjoyed making out with the blond, he enjoyed talking to him even more.

"I think I've outgrown the naivety that I wouldn't ever get hurt. When I was little, it was easy to just watch the men and women running in and out of the burning buildings going 'cool, I wanna do that!' but once you grow up and you learn the statistics and how often they get killed by being roasted alive..." He sighed. "Not really my thing."

"Fair enough." Naruto reached out to his other side, finding the floor and then set his bowl down before turning back to Sasuke. "So, what's the more realistic ideal?"

"I wanna run something." Sasuke frowned. "I don't care what, I just wanna be someone important. Someone people will notice." He snorted. "I get tired of always being outdone."

"I notice you," Naruto said with a smile. "Well, you know, kind of. I would, you know... If I... could since, well... You know what I mean!" The blond puffed his cheeks out, annoyed, and Sasuke just smirked at him.

"What about you, rich boy?" The raven bumped his knee against Naruto's, the blond shifting against the wall again. "What do you wanna be?"

"Honetly, I've never really given it much thought." Naruto sounded a little monotonous when he answered, and Sasuke frowned.

"Why?"

"I already knew what I was going to be, no matter what I wanted."

"Oh. I guess... that makes sense. You being Minato Namikaze's son and all. It makes sense you'd be the heir."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a snort.

"Can't you refuse?"

"Tried that. Didn't work out so well."

Sasuke decided not to press, since it was obvious Naruto didn't want to talk about it. He could only assume the other had gotten threatened, but then had to wonder what kind of threat would have worked on him. If his father had said he would disown him, Sasuke was pretty sure Naruto would've packed his own bags eagerly, based on how he acted with relation to his father.

Maybe the man had threatened his best friend. Who knew, other than Naruto. Maybe he hadn't even threatened him at all. Maybe he'd just lectured him on the importance of responsibility or something. Sasuke didn't know, and he didn't think he'd ever find out.

"You know what you should do when you've got all that money?" Naruto suddenly asked, making Sasuke grunt in inquiry. "You should open a restaurant." He grinned at the other. "That way, you'll own it, so you'll be in charge of it, and people will be able to eat all your great food."

Sasuke snorted. "My food's not that great."

"Who's the kidnapee here?" Naruto demanded. "Shut up, I'm right and you know it."

A smirk teased the corners of the raven's lips, and he was about to say he'd think about it when he heard footsteps overhead. He looked up, trying to establish where Itachi was, then lurched to his feet when he heard the steps moving towards the basement door.

Luckily, Naruto wasn't a moron and kept his mouth shut about the raven's sudden disappearance from his side so that Itachi didn't hear anything when the door opened.

"Essyu, come upstairs."

"Be right back," Sasuke said to Naruto in a low voice, picking up his empty bowl and checking the level of his water in the bottle beside the futon. It was still mostly full so he just headed upstairs with the bowl, shutting the basement door behind himself.

"What?"

"I have to go to the office for a little while," Itachi informed him, setting a glass down in the sink.

"Okay."

"Watch him."

Sasuke didn't deem that worthy of a response, so he just watched his brother gather up a few things and leave the house. He waited until he heard the car start and retreat down the driveway, then headed back for the stairs.

It had been a while since the blond's last shower. He supposed with his brother out of the house, now was a good time for him to get cleaned up.

Not to mention they could test how he was feeling in terms of exposure.

* * *

**September 28th, 13:22**

Naruto scowled angrily at the wall in front of him, both hands gripping the towel around his waist tightly. It was soaked through, and the water continued to beat down on him, but he was still trying to get himself to drop the towel.

He was doing well going to the bathroom, now. Hell, the last time he'd gone, he'd actually pulled his pants down to his knees and had taken a leak with his dick completely exposed. But still, that was only for a few seconds. That only lasted as long as it took for him to piss.

This was different. This was him standing in the middle of the shower for close to half an hour while he cleaned off. That meant half an hour of exposure, and while he'd certainly improved over the past few days, there was no way it would be enough to erase years of trauma.

"Stop being a wuss," he muttered to himself, taking a deep breath.

He let go of the towel, and managed to stand there for less than a second before he bent down and grabbed it again, pulling it back up around his waist.

"No! No, no, I can't. I can't do this," he insisted, tying it tightly so it wouldn't fall.

"Yes you can." Essyu's voice floated through the shower curtain and Naruto scowled down at the ground.

He hated that he couldn't man up in front of the other, but again, he felt he'd come a long way, and was proud of himself for it, but this? This he couldn't do.

"I can't," he insisted. "Not yet. Maybe... maybe a few more days. Just... next time."

Essyu was silent for a few minutes, Naruto getting to work on washing his hair. He let out a content sigh at the feel of the water on him, forgetting how badly he missed bathing regularly until he was under the spray. It felt so nice to be clean, and he was going to soak in the tub at home for hours once he got back.

"What would you do," Essyu's voice suddenly said, right beside the curtain, "if I reached in and took the towel?"

Naruto froze, hands still in his hair and water cascading down his torso. He could already feel his heart picking up its pace with panic, and forced himself to calm down. Clearly, Essyu wasn't going to do it until he confirmed it wouldn't kill him, or else he would have just _done _it.

"Probably hyperventilate and pass out," he admitted.

"I assumed so," Essyu said, his tone thoughtful. "Is it because I'm here?"

"No," Naruto said with a snort. "You're the one who's helped, remember?"

"What if you shower until you're clean, and then take it off and stand there for as long as you can stand and then I'll hand you the dry one?"

The blond thought about it for a few seconds, licking his lips and debating what to do. That might actually work out for him. As long as it wasn't the entirety of the shower, it would probably be all right. Right?

"Okay," he whispered.

"What?"

"Okay," he said more loudly. "Yes, all right, we can do that."

"I'll be here when you're done."

Naruto let out a loud exhale and then continued to wash himself off. He got as clean as he could, since he didn't know when he'd get to shower next, and then washed his hair a second time. He knew he was procrastinating. He knew Essyu knew he was procrastinating. But dammit, this was hard!

Once he'd washed his hair three times, and his entire body twice, he let out another slow breath and reached for the towel, letting it drop to the ground loudly. Then, he stood there. He shifted his weight and brought his hands forward to cover himself up before forcing them back to his sides.

He could feel his heart slowly picking up speed, and his breathing steadily started becoming more erratic. Wrenching the water off, he stuck his hand out of the shower.

"Towel. Now. Now please!"

He felt it in his hand and hurriedly pulled it into the shower, wrapping it around his waist and struggling to calm himself down.

Once he was covered again, he stood there unmovingly for a few minutes, letting his heart slow itself back down. When it had, he sighed and pulled back the curtain, avoiding Essyu's gaze.

"You must think I'm a total retard."

"Why would I think that?" Essyu snorted, sitting on the counter, his mask still on, as per usual. Naruto assumed that was why it had taken a few seconds for him to get the towel. The other had had to jump off and hand it to him. "Your fear is rational and has foundation. It's not like you're scared of something stupid, like styrofoam."

Naruto snorted. "Who the fuck is scared of styrofoam?"

"People. Don't you watch television? There are actually a lot of people scared of styrofoam."

The blond snorted again and shook his head, grabbing the second towel and beginning to dry himself off. "Still, I'm sure you're thinking I'm a little bit of a wuss."

"People are scared of things for irrational reasons. Again, yours is warranted. Stop thinking you know what I'm thinking." He heard the smirk in the other's voice. "I guarantee that you're wrong."

Naruto smiled at him and held his hand out for the boxers sitting on the counter beside the other. Essyu handed them to him and he pulled them on under the towel, then let it drop to the ground, using the second one to dry his hair.

Essyu handed him a new pair of sweats and a shirt, and he put them on happily, letting out a content sigh. "Ah, being clean. It feels so good."

"You should shower again tomorrow," Essyu said, jumping off the counter and leading the way back to the futon once he'd opened the bathroom door. "The more I make you shower, the faster you'll be cured."

"And why is my being cured so important to you?" Naruto asked, snorting slightly and falling down on the futon, beginning to do up his wrists while Essyu worked on his ankles.

"I'd like for you to leave here having gained something," Essyu admitted. "Even if I'm sure you'd have preferred never to have come here."

"I wouldn't say that." Naruto grinned, holding his wrists out for Essyu to double-check, then leaning back against the wall. The other shifted so he was beside him. "Sure, the first few days were a little awkward and Ayuu destroyed my back and all, but like I keep telling you, if I hated it so bad, I'd be a little shit." He nudged the other, still grinning. "Besides, Stockholm Syndrome, remember? When it's time to send me home, I'm gonna be clinging to this futon like my life depends on it."

Essyu snorted. "We'll see. I think it'd be more likely I'd not so accidentally lose the key to your cuffs."

Naruto didn't think he'd mind that.

* * *

**September 29th, 02:12**

Letting out a slow exhale, Kiba rolled over onto his side, licking his lips in his sleep when his body informed him they were too dry, and then promptly parted them so he could continue to breathe loudly through his mouth. He was drooling slightly on Naruto's pillow, but being buried deep in his slumber, he didn't even notice.

His subconscious informed him that something wasn't right, and at first, he fought to ignore it until it became far too insistent to just brush off. Forcing his mind back to wakefulness, he let out a small groan, silently complaining about being awoken for no reason and wondering what the big fucking emergency was when he froze.

At first, he wasn't sure he was right. He thought maybe he'd gone insane and that what he'd thought had happened hadn't actually happened. But then another second went by and he felt it again.

Someone was running their fingers through his hair.

"Whoa!" Jerking away from the hand, Kiba all but propelled himself off the other side of the bed. Or, he would have, were the bed not fucking ginormous. Instead, he just lurched towards the opposite end, hands up and closed into fists, ready to fight, when he found Minato standing on the opposite side.

Blinking a few times in confusion, Kiba lowered his fists before he understood what was going on and rubbed at his face.

"Dude," he whined. "Creepy, okay? Creepy. I'm not your replacement son, we talked about this." He shook his head. "Tsunade already wants to send me home, if I tell her I woke up in the middle of the night to you touching me, she'll tell my mom to get a restraining order."

"I'm not trying to use you as a replacement, Kiba," Minato said in a low voice, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He had his back to him, now, and the brunet could tell he was upset.

Which was easy to tell, considering what he was going through. But still, coming into his son's room to stroke his best friend's hair?

Not cool.

"You can't just come in here and start practising on me, then," Kiba insisted, raking one hand through his hair. "Naruto and I, while we sometimes speak the same way, are not similar at all. I mean, sometimes I wonder how we're even friends, since the only thing we have in common is video gaming."

"I know," Minato whispered.

"Stop that!" Kiba insisted, resisting the urge to flail, but it was tough. "Stop making me feel sorry for you! This isn't easy on anybody! Least of all Tsunade and I." He clicked his teeth together, not having meant to say that aloud, but it was out there, now.

"I know," the other said again. "I know that in your eyes, I have no right to be this upset, but he's my son, and I love him."

"Yeah, and it took you losing him to realize it." Kiba sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He'd had this fight with the older man at least ten times since his arrival and, honestly, it was getting boring and repetitive. "Look, I get that you regret everything, but you need to realize that we all only live once, and if when he's back you revert to your old asshole self, if you lose him again, nobody will show you any sympathy." He shrugged. "Just saying."

"I don't plan on reverting to my previous self," Minato said, turning to look at Kiba.

"Wow, you look like shit."

Again, he hadn't meant to say it aloud. He could only assume being groggy was messing with his brain-to-mouth filter.

The older man laughed and shook his head, slowly getting to his feet. "This is why I like you, Kiba. You blurt out whatever comes to mind, no matter what. It's very much like both Naruto and Tsunade and, clearly, I need more people like that in my life."

"Are you saying you want me to keep you in line?" Kiba cocked an eyebrow. "Can my first rule be: don't come into the room while I'm sleeping and touch me? Because seriously." He shook his head. "Not cool."

"I'm sorry." Minato smiled, raking one hand through his hair. "I'll try to refrain from it in the future."

"Okay." Kiba watched the other walk towards the door. "Hey, Mr. Namikaze?"

"Yes?"

The brunet pressed his lips together. "You're not as bad of a dad as I keep saying you are, you know. I'm just biased because I know how much your neglect has hurt Naruto."

"I know. And I appreciate your honesty." Minato smiled again. "Get some sleep."

"Right. Night."

The door closed and Kiba lay back down, but truthfully, he was too uncomfortable to go back to sleep. Waking up to your best friend's dad stroking your hair isn't exactly the kind of wake-up he'd had in mind.

* * *

**September 29th, 04:57**

"Get up."

Naruto groaned loudly, resisting the urge to swat at Ayuu when the other shook him roughly awake. He could tell based on how groggy he was that it was early, though he wasn't sure how early, exactly.

"Again?" the blond whined, which turned out to be a bad idea, because a cry left his throat when Ayuu grabbed a fistful of hair and wrenched him to his feet. He stumbled slightly, but caught himself before falling over. "What the hell! I was sleeping, how about giving me a second to at least wake up before making demands?!"

That just earned him another smack to the side of the face with the butt of the other's gun. He felt he was going to leave this place having gotten intimately acquainted with it, considering how often it touched his face and was forced into his mouth.

Grunting when he felt his hands grabbed, the cuffs were linked together behind his back and Ayuu pushed him against the wall, the blond's back smacking it hard, sending a spark of pain down his spine from the still-healing wounds. He let out a growl, but didn't say anything, hearing the other walking away. He heard the beep of a camera, and knew this was video number six for his father.

"So, what today?" Naruto demanded with a snort. "Belting? Talking? Stripping? Really, it's always a surprise with you. You should be a director, you'd make billions. Oh wait, my dad's already giving you that for free. Silly me."

He reckoned he deserved the next smack he got to the face, but it didn't mean he liked it. Spitting out blood, he ran his tongue along his teeth to make sure he hadn't lost any, and heard rustling.

Freezing, and wondering what was coming, he felt the gun press against his temple, and then lips brushed his own.

"Oh, fuck no!" Naruto snapped, wrenching his head to the side, but Ayuu's free hand came up and gripped his chin, forcing his face forward. And just when he was about to knee the guy in the groin, he shifted so that he could block Naruto's legs with his own.

"You're sick! Fuck you! No!" Naruto pulled at his cuffs, trying to turn his head, but he didn't make much progress, and the more he fought, the more amused Ayuu seemed to become.

"I'm going to enjoy this."

Naruto felt the other's lips against his own again, this time, more forceful. He clamped his teeth together when he felt the other's tongue probing for entrance, and was forced to relinquish it when he was punched in the stomach with the other's gun hand. The air rushed out of his lungs, and he opened his mouth to the other's advances.

Breathing in loudly through his nose, he waited until he had enough oxygen before snapping his teeth shut, hard. He was kind enough to give Ayuu the chance to retreat his tongue instead of biting clean through it.

Hissing, he felt the other pull away, and relished in his victory.

For all of five seconds.

Because that was how long it had taken Ayuu to pick something up and crack it loudly against his right shin.

Naruto screamed, almost falling to his knees, hands clenched behind his back and head bowed, eyes wide at the agony coursing up his body. "Jesus fuck! Fuck!"

His legs buckled and only Ayuu's presence in front of him stopped him from falling, the other pressing against him.

"Fucking Christ! Jesus! Fuck! _Fuck_!"

Based on the sound of what Ayuu had just dropped, he felt inclined to believe he'd just gotten hit in the leg with a metal pipe. And fuck did it ever burn. He felt like his leg was broken. He knew it wasn't, but it felt like it.

"Next time, I won't go easy," Ayuu informed him.

_That was easy?! _Naruto didn't think the other knew how to not go full out on anything, though he supposed, to the kidnapper's credit, he hadn't broken his leg.

"Let's try this again."

Naruto felt the other's tongue in his mouth for a second time, and was actually debating biting down again, but never got the chance. All of a sudden, Ayuu was gone, and Naruto heard the sound of something hard colliding with flesh.

* * *

**September 29th, 05:09**

Sasuke jerked up in bed, head lifting off his pillow sleepily before letting it fall back down onto it with a groan. He didn't know what had woken him up, but whatever it was, he hoped it was dead and had suffered a great deal.

He frowned when he heard a shout, and opened bleary eyes. It sounded like Naruto, and he wondered if maybe the other had to use the bathroom or something. Then again, he had the walkie-talkie, didn't he? Why wasn't he using that?

_Maybe it's out of batteries, _he mused while standing with a grunt. He didn't want to have to go downstairs to bring the other to the bathroom, but he wasn't about to let Naruto piss his pants, either. That was just cruel.

Yawning loudly, his jaw cracking, he opened the basement door and noticed the light was on. Frowning, he started down the steps, and looked over at Naruto. Instantly, his defences rose and he tore down the stairs and across the basement at rapid speed.

Grabbing the back of Itachi's shirt, he yanked him away from Naruto and promptly punched him across the face. Pain burned its way up his hand from the force of the blow, but it didn't stop him from attempting to deliver another one.

Itachi caught his hand, though, before it could connect with his face, and glared so hatefully that Sasuke felt he would have burst into flames at the other's sight were he superhuman.

Unable to help himself, he tore his hand back from his brother, and shoved him, hard.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I was making a point," Itachi said, his voice positively arctic. "What are _you _doing?"

"A point? A fucking _point_?!" Sasuke shouted in his face. "You're insane! You're going in-fucking-_sane_!"

He saw Naruto sink to his knees out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't look at him. He was far too livid with his brother to spare the blond any attention at the moment.

Itachi shifted his gaze to the side, and Sasuke followed it, realizing the camera was set up and aimed at the blond. His brother had been recording this? That was just fantastic! Now Sasuke's face was all over the video, which meant he'd have to edit it. Which would make him grumpy. Great.

Not that the punch to the face was gonna make him happy, but that was beside the point.

"Why are you continuously doing these videos when I'm sleeping?" Sasuke demanded.

"Because, little brother, just as you've done now, you always stop them."

"This wasn't what we agreed," Sasuke hissed. "You can't do these things to him."

"Are you jealous?"

The younger Uchiha just grit his teeth and continued to glare at Itachi. The other stared back at him, his anger having dissipated to be replaced with amusement.

"If you wanted him so badly, Essyu, all you had to do was ask."

Sasuke suddenly found himself shoved in Naruto's direction. When he turned to look at Itachi, the other was tossing him his mask before moving behind the camera. The raven's heart was slamming against his ribs, but he pulled the mask on anyway and turned back to Naruto, crouching down in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

"I can't feel my leg," the blond bit out. "Correction, I _wish _I couldn't feel my leg."

He didn't know what that meant, but now wasn't the time to ask. He just glanced over his shoulder at Itachi, then pulled his mask up a little around his mouth.

"Whatever happens, try not to enjoy it," he said as low as possible, hoping Itachi hadn't heard.

Grabbing the other's chin forcefully, he pressed his lips against the blond's. Naruto almost instantly relaxed, but luckily, he caught himself quickly and started trying to twist his face away. Sasuke held him firmly, and the blond kicked his legs out, the Uchiha luckily managing to avoid getting kicked in the nuts.

He let his tongue explore the other's mouth for a few seconds before pulling away. Naruto spat in his face. The raven just smirked at his acting and lowered his mask, standing and turning to look at his brother. Itachi stared back dispassionately before ending the recording, picking up the camera, and heading for the stairs.

"I'm going back to sleep," he informed them.

Sasuke watched him walk away, then pulled his mask off, tossing it onto his chair and letting out a slow breath. He looked back over at Naruto, then returned to his side, bending down to undo the cuffs. The blond instantly brought them to his pant leg, wincing and hissing while pulling it up.

The Uchiha couldn't see anything, but he was positive that come morning, there would be a giant bruise on his leg, if the way Naruto was poking at it was any indication.

"I'll get you some ice," he said in a low voice, turning to go and do so.

"Essyu?"

"Yeah?" He turned back to the blond.

"I know this is asking a lot, and you might get in trouble, but do you think you could maybe stay down here with me from now on?"

He could tell it was hurting the blond's pride to ask, but Naruto just straightened as best he could while nursing his injury, and licked his lips.

"I just... I can't control my mouth sometimes, and I want to leave here with the ability to walk. And, you know, still be breathing."

Pressing his lips together, Sasuke tried to determine how he'd feel about Itachi's wrath. Then again, he'd just punched him across the face and hadn't been punished. His brother was weird like that.

"I'll see." He started for the stairs again. "I'll get you some ice."

"Okay."

Climbing them slowly, he paused when he saw the dejected look on the other's face, and sighed. "Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

"Fuck Britannia."

"And fuck Itachi," the raven muttered under his breath, continuing up the stairs.

* * *

**September 29th, 17:45**

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

"Fuck Britannia."

Sasuke smirked while making his way down the stairs with some Kraft Dinner, walking over to the blond and falling down beside him on the futon before handing over the bowl and checking his water bottle to ensure he still had a decent amount.

"So," he said to the blond.

"So?" Naruto asked before sniffing the bowl and grinning. "KD, sweet."

The raven snorted at his dog imitation and got more comfortable beside him. "I argued with Ayuu for almost an hour—while still worrying he was going to kill me for punching him—and I'm going to bring my futon down later. His only rule is that it has to be visible from the stairs, so it'll be across the room."

"I can live with that," Naruto replied with a grin, shovelling more food into his mouth. "Means he'll have to walk on you to get at me." He shrugged. "It's not that I'm a pussy or anything, I'm just getting tired of being bullied. I'd love to get the chance to face off with him one on one."

"You wouldn't win," Sasuke insisted, which earned him what he could only assume was a glare from the other.

"You don't know that."

"No, I do." Sasuke scowled. "Ayuu is... Intimidating isn't the right word, but basically you can watch him while you're fighting him and you'll just end up giving up. He's... unsettling." Snorting, the raven shifted back against the wall, winced, and eased himself away from it. "Trust me, I've yet to make it through an entire fight with him. He usually gets me to back off."

"You know, I find based on what you say that Ayuu only punishes you when he feels there's been an injustice or something. If you beat on him, he doesn't care, but if you, say, talk to me about something, he'll flip out."

The Uchiha shrugged. "He's complicated. I stopped trying to understand him a long time ago."

"You say that as if _you're _not complicated," Naruto teased, which earned him a scowl.

"How am I complicated? In what way am I complicated?"

Mysterious, Sasuke was all right with. Dangerous, even better. But complicated? How in the hell was he complicated? How could Naruto even think he was remotely complicated compared to his brother?

"You're telling me you don't agree?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow and laughed. "Dude, you're like... dude, you're being nice and falling for a kidnap victim. I'd call that pretty complicated."

"I'd call it stupidity, personally," Sasuke muttered, stealing Naruto's bowl and taking a bite of his food, the blond letting out an indignant squawk.

"Hey! Get your own food! This is mine!" He flapped his arms pitifully in Sasuke's direction to swat at him and steal his bowl back. The raven just handed it over before he spat food out of his mouth with how ridiculous Naruto looked.

The blond huddled around his bowl, pouting and trying to keep it protected from any more thievery. Sasuke couldn't help but smile slightly at the image before forcing it off his face and standing.

"How's your leg feeling?"

"All right," the blond replied, licking his lips. "Aches a little, but the ice helped, and I don't think he hit me as hard as he could have. Can't say the same for my face." He motioned the newest addition to the bruising on his face, and Sasuke scowled.

"I'm glad your leg's feeling all right."

"How's your back?" Naruto asked, shifting to get more comfortable while Sasuke took a seat in his usual chair. "I can't really tell if you're leaning back against it or not, but you're moving faster so I'm assuming it's healing up well. You haven't asked me to replace bandages or anything, either."

"I'm used to it," he said with a one-shoulder shrug. "It stings every now and then if I put too much pressure on it, but nothing I can't handle."

"That's good." Naruto said with a smile.

They sat in silence for a few seconds, Naruto chewing happily while bobbing his head from side to side like a child, and the raven snorted before deciding to move on to another topic.

"We're almost done _Area Seven_," he began, which earned him a giant gasp of horror from Naruto. A smirk teased the raven's lips when he picked the book up. "Don't worry, after this one, there's still _Scarecrow_, which you'll like. Especially because of the new character."

"Hm," Naruto said thoughtfully. "I don't know how I feel about a book named after the Scarecrow. That could be dangerous. Could mean he dies at the end of _Area Seven_."

"Maybe he does," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Don't say that!" Naruto looked appalled. "How could you say that?!"

"What? People die." Sasuke shrugged. "That's why Matthew Reilly is amazing. Because he makes you love the characters, and then he rips them away from you forever."

The blond looked absolutely horrified, and Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. While what he said was true, he would never admit whether or not Scarecrow got killed at the end of the book. That would spoiler the next one, so it was easier to just poke fun at the blond.

"Ayuu's going to be going to get the drop tonight," he informed the blond, finding the last page he'd been at. "I'm thinking we should get you showered again. See how long you can last without that towel."

Naruto chewed slowly, obviously thinking about it before swallowing and nodding. "Yeah, okay. I guess it's better to do it as often as possible while he's out."

"My thoughts exactly." Sasuke shifted on his chair and looked down at the book, then began to read.

* * *

**September 30th, 00:13**

Naruto was quickly becoming impatient with how proud he always was of himself for stupid reasons. Well, considering his trauma, not exactly _that _stupid, but he felt stupid. After all, what kind of guy had a problem showing his dick to people? Wasn't that against the male genes or something? It was frustrating, and infuriating, because all he could remember was how easily Essyu had just dropped trou the other day and pretty much forced him to stare at his dick.

Why the fuck couldn't Naruto do that?! Just whip it out, even play with it or something. It was stupid that he couldn't manage that! It pissed him off, to be honest. He wanted to be okay. Which was why he was going to do something stupid.

He knew it was a bad idea, but he didn't care. He was tired of letting some asshole paedophile who was now in jail ruin his life and make him incapable of doing the simplest fucking things! So, after he'd finished cleaning himself off, he forced himself to drop the towel and turned off the water.

"I need a favour."

"Hn."

Naruto took that as a means to continue, even while his heart slowly increased its pace. "I'm going to dry off, and I want you to handcuff me to the wall so that I can't cover myself."

There was a short pause. "Are you sure?"

"Ayuu's not here, and I'm tired of this." His voice was already rising in pitch. "Until Ayuu gets home. Once the door upstairs slams, let me put pants on, but until then, I just..." He grit his teeth and held his hand out. "Give me the dry towel."

"You can't even last five minutes like this, Naruto," Essyu insisted, though the blond felt the towel in his hand and wrenched it behind the curtain, quickly drying himself off and forcing himself not to cover his privates up.

"I'll force myself to. But don't let me go or cover me up until Ayuu comes back, okay?"

"As long as you don't get mad at me for it," the other replied.

Naruto pulled back the curtain, and dropped the towel, struggling to keep his breathing even. Essyu eyed him, obviously concerned.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"If I can take fifteen hits to the back with a fucking belt, I can stand in a closed-off room naked!" Naruto stormed for the door, Essyu opening it and leading the way back to the futon.

Every step was like panic shooting up his spine. He could feel his hands beginning to sweat and his breathing was already increasing to hyperventilating mode. He hurried after the other and held his wrists out.

"Come on, now. Today. Do it!"

"Naruto, seriously," Essyu insisted, cuffing his wrists, but keeping his gaze locked on the blond's. "You're not ready for this."

"You don't know that!"

The other snorted and Naruto was sure he'd have rolled his eyes if the blond couldn't see them. But he didn't say anything, he just cuffed him to the wall and then walked away.

Naruto watched him head to the bathroom to collect his clothes, and could already feel panic bubbling up from his chest. He could still picture the paedophile's face, inches from his own. Feel the cold of the scissors against his—

It took a conscious effort not to scream for Essyu to untie him, but he could feel his heart slamming so hard against his ribs it was actually painful. His breathing was coming faster and faster and the edges of his vision were blackening.

_No!_ he shouted internally to himself. _You will not pass out! You will not freak out! This is nothing! This is fucking nothing!_

Essyu was in front of him again, watching him dispassionately. Naruto just kept his gaze locked on the other's, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Essyu reached up and slowly pulled the bottom of his mask up until his lips were exposed.

The blond knew what was coming next, and when the other leaned forward to kiss him, Naruto did, as well, pressing himself insistently against him, fists clenched and tugging at the restraints while he sucked lewdly on the other's tongue.

He could feel Essyu's hands slowly exploring his body, and he knew it was just him trying to distract Naruto. Well, it was working, that was for sure. He pressed forward into the touches, groaning into the kiss and pushing forward harder when Essyu leaned back.

The kidnapper chuckled, breathing hard through his mouth. "Sorry, I can't breathe with the mask like this," he said, and smirked.

Naruto grinned. "Your smirk is so condescending. It's awesome."

Essyu snorted and moved back in to capture his lips again. He'd distracted Naruto so thoroughly that the blond had actually forgotten for a brief moment that he was naked until he felt the other's hand wrap around him.

For a second, he panicked, and wanted to pull away, like he had the last time, but then he just thought about what Essyu had said. Their time was limited, and sadly, their feelings were not. If this was all he was going to get from the other, he may as well take advantage of it.

Rocking his hips forward, Naruto enjoyed Essyu's seemingly endless knowledge of the human anatomy. It made it easy for him to groan into the kiss, forcing his hips forward harder.

Essyu broke the kiss and chuckled against the skin of his neck. "Is this your first handjob from someone else?"

"My second," Naruto grunted. "Unless the first one doesn't count because I didn't cum."

"We'll call this your first. You don't have the option to push me away this time." He felt the other's tongue licking at his ear, and felt his heart rate increasing more, though this time, for another reason.

"You're a strange one, Uzumaki. You couldn't even take a piss standing up when you got here, and now you're letting some random guy jerk you off."

Naruto breathed hard though his mouth, gasping in air almost desperately and struggling to not let the other's words ruin this. He had something to look forward to, now. Hopefully that would mean an improvement in the shower.

Something to look forward to, and a distraction. Essyu was good at providing both, and the blond was so thankful that he'd gotten him as a kidnapper. This was seriously the most exhilarating thing he'd ever experienced in his life.

Tension was coiling in the pit of his stomach, the blond feeling like a spring was being pulled back further and further. A strangled cry escaped his lips, and he heard Essyu chuckle, though he was breathing hard against his skin, rubbing himself against the blond's thigh.

The door upstairs slammed and Naruto felt his heart stutter in his chest. No, this wasn't fair! It wasn't fucking fair!

"Close?" Essyu asked.

"He's back!" the blond hissed, even as another groan forced itself up his throat. Essyu covered his mouth.

"Close?"

Forcing himself to nod, he felt the other quicken his movements. And just a few seconds later, the spring in Naruto's stomach snapped. A loud groan escaped his lips, the sound muffled by Essyu's hand still covering it.

A few seconds passed before Essyu removed his hand from over Naruto's mouth, using it to undo the section of the cuffs holding him to the wall without any slack.

Bending down, Essyu threw his sweats at him and glanced at the basement stairs when the door at the top opened.

"Don't come down," Essyu said in a voice much calmer than Naruto felt. "His mask is off, I just got him out of the shower."

Naruto hurried to pull the pants on, heart still slamming against his ribs, and he saw Essyu pull his mask down the rest of the way before looking around and grabbing up the shirt Naruto was about to reach for, using it to wipe off his hand.

"Come upstairs," the other ordered.

"Let me secure him, and I'll be right up."

The door closed, and the two of them let out relieved sighs. Naruto let out a laugh, shaking his head and falling onto the futon, hands shaking slightly while raking through his wet hair.

"You're insane, Essyu."

"I wasn't going to let anything steal a second chance to make you cum," the other replied, clearly smirking behind his mask. "I'll dispose of this and get you a new one. Then I'll be back down with my futon for the night."

"Cool." Naruto grinned. "See you in a bit then. And um, thanks. For the favour, and the, uh..." He motioned the other. "I guess the handjob."

Essyu was smirking again. "Anytime."


	12. Cold Showers

**A/N: I know I say this allatiems, but this time I mean it! I'm gonna sit and edit this bitch this weekend so that I can post it all up! I feel bad for neglecting it, I just haven't had time but it annoys me because it's finished and I feel it's taking longer than it should to post and tl;dr I'm gonna edit it all this weekend if it kills me. Though hopefully it won't. Because that would be unfortunate |D  
**

**Also, sorry to the PMers, I will reply to those this weekend, too. I am just like, freakingout busy right now, so yeah, sorry. I suck as a person :(**

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto Masashi must never have learned to share because he is ridiculously possessive of Kiba, for some reason. It's actually a little concerning, obsessive even. I can't imagine anyone being _that_ obsessed with Kiba. I mean, pfft, come on, he's not THAT great. Or anything...  
**

**Also, Ice Station, the Scarecrow Series, Seven Ancient Wonders, and the Jack West Jr. Series all belong to the amazing Matthew Reilly.  
**

* * *

**September 30th, 11:43**

Minato took a slow, deep breath, one hand covering his mouth and the other holding the mouse. He didn't know how to feel about this last video, mostly because the kidnappers seemed to constantly be changing around. Not to mention it was the choppiest one yet.

First he'd seen the one guy trying to kiss Naruto. Then it had cut to his son getting slammed in the shin with a lead pipe. Then it had cut to his son making out with who he could only assume was another kidnapper, since he was shorter and less built than the first. Naruto had spat in his face, and the video had ended.

That left a lot of questions. Why there were so many cuts, why his son had fought harder on the first kidnapper than he had the second, why it had stopped where it had, just... why? He didn't like all the questions bouncing around in his head, which was precisely why he hadn't let Kiba watch it when he'd dropped by earlier, and why he refused to tell Tsunade what was in it.

He didn't think it had anything to do with his son, exactly, but he felt that, considering what the men were doing to him, Naruto was being remarkably lenient. Then again, with the number of injuries the other was getting, he felt he was going to _actually _need to call a doctor once his son got home, just to make sure there was no permanent damage.

Minato was glad that, so far, there didn't seem to be any lasting psychological damage. That was good, because it was already hard on his son to not be able to use the bathroom without freaking out, he didn't want him to start being a hermit because of these people.

But still, his son didn't seem close to being released, and he was slowly losing hope that the kidnapper was actually being truthful. After all, what proof did he have that Naruto would be returned before Christmas? What if this never ended?

Minato would never stop paying, of course not, but he was slowly beginning to have problems with accepting everything that was happening to the blond teenager. In a way, it felt like he was suffering more than his son was, which he knew was selfish and ridiculous to believe, but based on how the other was in his videos, and then comparing it to how he was falling apart sitting in his office, he felt inclined to believe he was suffering more.

And he was becoming obsessive. He could barely leave his office anymore for anything except going to the bathroom, doing a drop, or sleeping, and even the latter sometimes occurred in his office. He just couldn't stop looping the video. Couldn't stop staring at all the pictures of his son that he'd blown up and stuck all around the room. Couldn't stop going through his photo albums, and reading his notebooks of notes from class, and even his homework and essays.

He'd even found a whole bunch of notes between Naruto and Kiba in class, and had read through all of those. And then all the text messages on his son's phone which, in retrospect, had been a bad idea because most of them were Naruto asking to go over because he was pissed off at Minato again.

A knock at the door made him pause the video and turn to it, Tsunade opening it slowly and looking in at him. Then, she threw the door open and strode into the room, hands on her hips and a glare in her eyes.

"You, sir, stink."

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, and Minato just stared at her incomprehensibly. "Excuse me?"

"You stink. I'm actually feeling sick standing in the same room as you." Tsunade passed him and forced open the two windows located behind his desk. "You haven't showered since Naruto was taken, and you stink."

The woman moved back in front of his desk, leaning forward and bracing herself against it. "I know you're upset. I know you're obsessing. I know you're suffering. I know this, because it's how I feel. But Naruto won't want to come home to this. What if he's let go tonight? Do you want to smell like this? He won't give you a hug if you smell like this."

"He wouldn't hug me anyway," Minato muttered, which earned him a slap to the face.

He was so startled it took him a few seconds to actually reach up to touch his cheek.

"Snap out of it," Tsunade ordered. "This isn't like you. No one said you couldn't be upset, just don't lack in hygiene because of it! Kiba and I have showered regularly, and so should you! Now, up!"

Minato stared at her, and her gaze darkened.

"Don't make me come around that desk, sir."

The blond man hesitated, glancing at the screen, and then got to his feet, allowing the woman to lead the way out of the office.

Now that he thought about it, he _did_ kind of smell bad. It probably explained why everyone had been avoiding him lately.

* * *

**October 1st, 14:57**

"What do you mean there's no more Scarecrow books?!" Naruto demanded, practically shaking the other. "How can there not be any more?!"

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that forced itself onto his lips once he'd closed the last book in the Scarecrow series. Naruto's reaction had been much like his own, except his had been more internal while outwardly he'd just scowled. But, again, like himself, there was good news.

"He has another series. It's about an Australian called Jack West Jr. and it's a little bit more sci-fi than the Scarecrow books. There's an Arab and an Israeli, and a really awesome set of Irish twins. And also a little African girl, and a Canadian professor."

"What about us?" Naruto asked, cocking his head.

"We're the bad guys."

The blond let out a cry of outrage. "What?! How can we be the bad guys?! In Scarecrow, we're the good guys! I don't wanna be a bad guy! How come Canada gets to be a good guy?"

"Because they're the retarded fat kid, remember?" Sasuke smirked. "Can't be mean to them."

"No, Canada's the loner nobody pays attention to, we've had this conversation already."

Sasuke snorted and started to lean back in his seat before catching himself, setting _Scarecrow _down, and finding he'd read that one to Naruto much faster than the previous two. Probably because for the others, the blond kept stopping to talk, but this one, he would get indignant when Sasuke had to go to the bathroom.

"Well?" the blond said, making Sasuke frown.

"Well what?"

"Go get the next book!" Naruto pointed to the stairs, and Sasuke couldn't help but let out a full blown laugh, shaking his head.

"Who's the captive, here?"

"I am, now do my bidding, slave," Naruto insisted, pointing at the stairs again.

Chuckling again and finding the blond ridiculous, Sasuke stood, but _not _to do his bidding. "I think we better slow down a little bit or else I'll run out of Matthew Reilly books for you."

"Impossible. Just reread _Ice Station_."

Snorting, Sasuke headed for the stairs. "I think you like that book more than I do, now." He paused on the bottom step. "I'm gonna grab a quick bite, do you want anything?"

"Whatever you have is fine," the blond replied, then reached out for his water bottle. "And a refill please?"

"Toss it."

Naruto snorted. "I can't see, asshole, remember?"

"You can hear me," Sasuke smirked, "throw it towards me."

The blond obviously rolled his eyes, aimed, and threw the bottle. It barely missed Sasuke, hitting the wall beside him, and the raven bent to pick it up.

"You should take another shower today, see if your actions yesterday did you any good."

"With Ayuu home?" Naruto snorted. "Unlikely."

"He won't be home later."

Truthfully, Itachi had an overnight meeting that he absolutely could not miss if he wanted to keep his job, and therefore had no choice but to go to their office in the next state over, which meant he'd be gone for one or two days. Though Sasuke didn't feel comfortable admitting all of that to Naruto, just in case, he could at least tell him when he wasn't home.

"Oh yeah?" The blond hesitated, obviously uncertain of how he would fare. "We can try then, yeah. And I mean," he pulled at the hem of the sweats he was wearing, "I'm already not wearing boxers, so that's a step in the right direction." A grin followed that statement.

"Indeed."

Sasuke started up the stairs but before reaching the top, he heard Naruto call after him and asked what he needed.

"I was just wondering if you've actually quit smoking," the blond said in a low voice. "Just because... I don't know. You seem around my age, maybe a year older or something, but you're way too young to be smoking as much as you did when I first got here. So I'm just wondering if you've actually quit."

"Well," the raven said with a frown, "I've not quit, exactly, but I honestly couldn't tell you when I last had a cigarette. That work for you?"

"Good enough," the blond said, clearly grinning. "Now get me food, slave!"

Sasuke shook his head and closed the basement door behind himself. Only Naruto could get kidnapped by people and still act as if he were hanging out with friends.

* * *

**October 1st, 19:07**

Itachi didn't like this. Not at all. He'd been sitting in his car for close to ten minutes staring at their rental place, unwilling to drive away because he knew, he _knew _that once he left, something was going to go wrong. Not to mention he needed to be home for the drop tomorrow night, and he was worried he might have to stay overnight again, which would mean Sasuke would have to go and get it.

Which would mean he could get caught.

Which would mean Naruto would be home alone for two hours.

No, even if Itachi had to quit, he had to be home before midnight the following day, no matter what. He wasn't going to let Sasuke go to the drop, his brother would probably fuck it up somehow. Or worse, find out about the letters Naruto had been getting and give them to the blond.

Letters which Itachi had been thoroughly enjoying. He kept them beside his futon, beneath work papers so Sasuke wouldn't find them, and read them at night. They brought him great amusement, especially when he read how "sorry" Minato kept being. How much he missed his little baby boy and wanted him back.

It was hilarious, and Itachi loved every single second of it. Because it meant he was getting what he wanted, in addition to money. Minato was suffering. Suffering a great deal, and while Itachi hadn't spent any time talking to Naruto about his father like Sasuke had, it was easy to tell the blond hated the man.

And that just made this even better. Because Minato kept pleading for forgiveness while Naruto continued to despise him. When he sent the little spoiled shit home, things were going to be awkward for him, and for Minato, and Itachi loved that knowledge.

Of course, he knew things were going to be hard for him and Sasuke, as well, considering how the other had been acting of late, but at least they would have money and could improve their lives. Sasuke would be able to go back to school, and they would live the life they'd been promised since birth before Minato had stolen it from them.

Sure, Sasuke wouldn't be allowed to keep his little friend, but he was slowly losing patience with his brother's naivety. He was acting as if Naruto would forgive and forget once they let him go, and nobody was that selfless. Nobody.

Not even Naruto Namikaze, despite what his brother thought.

Once the other was let out, he was never going to see him again.

* * *

**October 1st, 22: 34**

"I don't know about this..." Naruto insisted, shifting awkwardly while standing naked in the bathroom, his mask still on and his hands firmly at his sides, the blond refusing to cover himself. He'd done pretty well all day with being able to take a leak without hesitation, but this was still harder. Spending close to half an hour naked in the shower? That was tough.

"Why, are you a chicken?" He could hear the smirk in Essyu's voice and scowled.

"No, I just don't know that I like how we're... progressing. I mean... Stop making me fall more for you!" Naruto pointed an accusatory finger at the other. "You're just gonna make it suck more when I go home!"

Essyu chuckled, and Naruto's hand was easily pushed aside, the other moving right into his personal space. "We'll manage. Besides, haven't we decided that there are no holds barred? I took your first kiss, and your first handjob. Why not your first blowjob?"

"And what next, sex?" Naruto asked dryly, though the thought of finally having sex _was _kind of exciting. At least he'd be able to relate to Kiba, for once, and agree or disagree about sex being the most amazing thing in the world.

"Perhaps. We'll see how you fare."

Naruto winced behind his mask, and hissed when he felt the other's hand on him, moving it slowly while kissing at his neck. He felt teeth grazing his skin lightly, moving down to suck and bite at his collarbone.

"You do realize," Naruto said through gritted teeth, "that if I go home without my phobia, I'm going to get it right back for not having you around to distract me, right?"

"Then distract yourself and pretend it's me," Essyu said, clearly smirking again. "It's not hard, you know. Just pay attention to what I'm doing right now, and mimic it later. You can do it and pretend it's me. Every time, if necessary."

Naruto snorted. "You just want me to jerk off thinking about y—" His sentence cut off into a groan when Essyu proceeded with what they'd been discussing. And he did so without hesitation, he just went right for it.

"Fuck," he hissed, breathing hard. "Jesus, fuck!"

Curling in slightly, and folding himself around the other's head, he buried both hands in the other's hair, tugging harshly for a few seconds while Essyu pulled away, took a deep breath, and repeated the same action.

Naruto straightened, throwing his head back, and groaned loudly, hips arching away from the wall, desperate for more than he was getting. Essyu obviously wanted to take his time, because he ensured to keep his pace slow, clearly telling Naruto he wasn't in any kind of rush. The blond felt like it would take him forever to release, at this rate.

"Please," he groaned, tugging on the other's hair. "Fuck, you fucking tease!"

Essyu chuckled, the vibrations moving through Naruto, making him curse loudly, slamming his head back against the wall and digging the back of his scalp against it. This was torture! And every time he tried to force his hips forward, Essyu would grip them tightly with both hands and stop him from doing so, keeping them pressed firmly against the wall.

"Fuck, come on!" Naruto tugged hard on the other's hair, and when Essyu pulled back this time, the blond felt like he was never going to get what he wanted.

And then, the other changed his pace, switching it up from having all the time in the world to suddenly running out of time, moving quickly.

It was getting to the point where Naruto felt he was never going to release, the pressure was just going to continue to build and build and build until he just went insane with need. And just when he was certain he was about to reach that point, he went rigid and felt every muscle in his body tense, his entire frame trembling while a strangled shout left his throat.

He was curled over the other by the time he'd caught his breath, Essyu not having moved from his position. When Naruto finally straightened, the other pulled away, and the blond felt his dick was going to shrivel up and die from how sensitive it felt.

"Shower time," Essyu said, his voice teasing.

"Fuck, I think if any water hits my cock right now, it'll explode," the blond insisted.

Essyu chuckled and stood, Naruto hearing the water start. Then he felt hands at the back of his head, undoing the mask. It was set down and he squinted, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the light. The other already had a mask on, but he pulled it up slightly to kiss the blond's lips. Naruto tasted himself, and while it wasn't exactly the best flavour in the world, he felt that it wasn't completely horrendous, either.

"Shower. Don't make me go bad kidnapper on your ass."

Naruto snorted so hard it actually hurt and he shoved the other away, grinning, before turning to climb into the shower.

Then, a shout exploded throughout the house, Naruto screaming so loudly one would think it was a girl who'd seen a spider.

"Oh my God, that's fucking _cold_!"

* * *

**October 2nd, 07:58**

Kiba snuck silently into the Namikaze household, eyes scanning the front entrance thoroughly before slowly easing through the door and shutting it soundlessly behind him. The guards all knew him, so when he'd arrived with Kakuzu, he'd easily waved at them all and made it to the front door.

While normally the guards called Tsunade, he asked for them to refrain because it was her birthday and he wanted to surprise her. Truthfully, he had no fucking idea when Tsunade's birthday was, but whatever got him unannounced to the door was all he cared about.

So far so good. He made it across the front entrance, still looking around, and pushed open the door to Minato's study. He was just about to enter it and head for the computer to watch the last video when he was forced to freeze.

His best friend's father was passed out at his desk, drooling on an enlarged picture of Naruto's smiling face. Kiba winced because he was standing right beside the blond in the photo, and was also being drooled on. That was nice.

Kiba froze, eyes wide, when a hand materialized between his arm and body, reaching forward for the door handle and slowly closing it. Hunching his shoulders, and knowing the only reason he wasn't going to get yelled at was because Minato was still sleeping, the brunet looked behind himself to see a very angry-looking Tsunade.

"Um... I come in peace?"

"What are you doing here?" Tsunade hissed, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him towards the front door. "How did you even get in here?!"

"Before you throw me out, please take this," Kiba insisted, reaching into his back pocket and handing her the note he'd written for Naruto. "Also, I'm sorry if everyone starts singing happy birthday to you today." He laughed slightly, looking sheepish.

The older woman let out an exasperated sigh and shoved Kiba towards the front door. "Go to school, Inuzuka, before Minato sees you here and tries to hijack you again."

"This is getting stupid," Kiba insisted with a scowl. "I want him to come home. Isn't there anything more the guy can be doing? I mean, what about sending them like, a truckload of money or something?"

"He's trying everything he can, Kiba," Tsunade said in a low voice. "Believe me, he's trying. It's just not that simple."

"If they want a specific amount, how can sending more money make this 'not that simple'?" he insisted, almost whining. "Tsunade, this is seriously killing me. I mean, I know I shouldn't say things like this to you, because you care just as much as me, but I just... I'm having trouble functioning. I've never had to go this long without Naruto. I don't... even really know how to act without him around."

"I know, Kiba." She patted his shoulder and offered him a small smile. "Just... hope for the best. Maybe with a little luck, we'll get him home on his birthday."

"What if we don't?" Kiba suddenly looked horrified. "Oh my God, what if we _do_?! I need to start planning his birthday!"

Tsunade chuckled and patted his cheek, a little harder than he was sure she'd meant to. Or maybe she had meant to, he didn't know.

"Go to school, Kiba. We'll worry about his birthday when he's back."

"Fine," he groused, opening the front door and pointing at Tsunade. "You'll tell me what's on that video if he tells you, right?"

"I'll use my best judgement." The woman smiled at him and closed the door.

Kiba scowled and resisted the urge to start banging on it, demanding to know. They couldn't tell him Naruto was kidnapped and then leave him in the dark like this. How unfair was that?! But still, considering he was sure the older man hadn't been getting much sleep lately, he just grumbled and got back into his car, informing Kakuzu he needed to get to school before he was late.

Then again, maybe if he was late he'd get suspended and sent home. All he felt like doing lately was curl up in a ball. But at the same time, school required thought, which provided a good distraction, so he kind of needed to go. Besides, as much as Kankurou wasn't a replacement by any stretch of the imagination, he made a good temporary companion, and for the moment, that would do.

* * *

**October 2nd, 13:14**

Naruto bounced practically all the way back to his futon, grinning like a mad fool before falling onto it and rolling around, ignoring the snort of amusement from behind him. He knew he was being a total goof, but he couldn't help it! He'd actually done it!

While yesterday, after his blowjob, the shower had been all right, he'd still needed a towel halfway through because his brain had begun to wander too much. But today, he had spent exactly thirty-one minutes and eighteen seconds with his cock exposed.

And nothing had happened to it, either!

"Dude, I take it back," Naruto said with a grin, looking over at Essyu, who was still standing by the bathroom door, hands in his pockets. "You shouldn't be a chef. You should be like, one of those people who makes you get over your fears. What are they called?"

Essyu snorted. "I'm pretty sure it only worked on you because of our mutual feelings and the fact that I continuously molest you." He smirked. "Ironic, considering what made you fear being exposed in the first place."

"Hey man, you've never threatened to cut or shoot off my dick. If you think I can walk around naked with Ayuu around, think again." He snorted and got comfortable, lying on his back on the futon and frowning slightly. "Hey, Essyu?"

"Hn?"

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

"What makes you think I have?"

Naruto lifted his head to give him a look, the other coming towards him and starting to cuff his ankles, as per usual.

"I'm not stupid. You've lost it. I'm just curious as to what age?"

"Fourteen."

"Hm, that's not too bad, I guess. To a boy or a girl?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really. Just wondering if you're straight up gay or bisexual."

"Bisexual, but I lean more towards men." Essyu shifted so he could cuff his wrists, and Naruto watched him while he did so. "What about you?"

"Me what?" Naruto asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Which are you? Into guys or girls?" Essyu took a seat in his usual chair, and Naruto sat up so he could see him better, sitting cross-legged.

"You know, I'd never really considered it, but I've gotta be at the very least bisexual." He grinned. "I mean, girls are hot and all, but considering I'm making out with a guy and letting him suck my cock and shit, I'm pretty sure I'm kinda into guys, too."

Essyu snorted. "One would think, but you never know with someone like you."

"What does that mean?" Naruto demanded, finding that to have been a little bit uncalled for and getting defensive.

"People like you are very flighty," Essyu said with a shrug. "You tend to hop from thing to thing. Whatever will give you the most attention, whatever suits your fancy at the time, whatever is convenient."

The blond stiffened, glaring at the other angrily. "Is that what you think? That I'm making out with you and letting you do whatever you want with me just because it's _convenient _for me at the moment?!"

Apparently, Essyu had finally clued in that he'd lacked tact in his statement, and shook his head. "I didn't mean that was what you were doing, I just meant—"

"Meant what?" Naruto spat. "You said 'people like me' did these things, so which is it? People like me or not?"

Essyu's eyes hardened, and Naruto could tell he was feeling just as defensive. The other stood up, clearly unhappy, and asked if he needed to use the restroom. Naruto bit out that he didn't.

"I'll come back down later, then."

"Whatever suits your fancy. I'm only here out of _convenience_!" the blond snapped after him.

Essyu didn't respond to that, he just climbed the stairs and slammed the basement door behind himself.

* * *

**October 2nd, 17:25**

"Have you done the video yet?"

Sasuke turned from where he was standing at the counter, Itachi barely even having entered the place fully before asking the question. The younger Uchiha looked him up and down before turning back to the tuna sandwich he was making for himself.

"No. But when you go down, make sure you have a mask on, he's not wearing his."

"Why not?"

"Because I got pissed off after his shower and didn't put it back on." His tone informed Itachi that that was the end of the conversation, and while he could tell his brother was thinking of pushing him, he didn't, and Sasuke was thankful.

"I'm going to do it now," Itachi said, putting his bags down and heading for his room for the camera. "Are you going to come?"

"Do I have to babysit?" Sasuke muttered, taking a bite of his food and turning to sit down at the table. He was still sitting there, eating, when Itachi returned, watching him. "No, I'm not coming down."

"Pity." Itachi smirked. "Your loss."

Sasuke frowned at that and watched Itachi pull on his mask and open the basement door. He heard Naruto call out his code name, but Itachi said nothing and shut the door behind himself. The youngest brother stayed where he was, chewing his food, and pointedly ignoring the fact that his brother was downstairs with Naruto.

He wasn't the blond's keeper! And on top of that, Naruto had totally taken his statement wrong and started getting all high and mighty about it. And considering the fact that Sasuke was poor as dirt and Naruto was rich as fuck, that pissed him off a little bit. He didn't like being looked down on, and that's exactly what the blond had done.

So, no. He wasn't going to go downstairs and save the other again. Whatever Itachi was doing, he could do it. Sasuke didn't care.

He didn't!

Letting out a growl, he threw his half-eaten sandwich down and stood, grabbing his mask and yanking it on over his head. Throwing open the basement door with an annoyed scowl, he started down the stairs and froze when he reached the bottom.

"Decided to join us after all?"

Sasuke had no words. He was completely dumbfounded by what his eyes were seeing, and a part of him wondered just what exactly was going through Itachi's head most of the time. He knew he wanted Minato to suffer, but this was...

"No."

"No?" Itachi sounded amused.

"You're not doing this and sending it to him," the youngest snapped, moving forward angrily. Why was his brother so psychotic?

"And you're going to stop me?" Itachi asked, a clear challenge.

"You are not forcing him to give you head!" Sasuke snapped, wrenching his brother's pants back up because, really, he had no desire to see his brother's cock. "That isn't going to happen!"

He turned to Naruto, still mostly pissed at him, but more pissed at his brother. He reached behind him and undid the bondage contraption that was currently forcing the blond's mouth to stay open and Naruto coughed, shaking his head.

"Don't sa—"

"You're fucking crazy!" Naruto shouted before Sasuke could finish.

He probably should have told the other not to say anything _before_ removing the contraption. Because now, he was going to have to do even _more_damage control. He turned to look at Itachi, who just scowled at Naruto, and then looked back at the blond.

"How about you shut up for two seconds before he puts a bullet in your head," he snapped, losing patience with the blond's defiance.

Naruto's gaze shot to him, and it looked like he was going to argue, but he instead just clicked his teeth shut and leaned back angrily, averting his gaze. Sasuke noticed his hands were cuffed behind his back, but that was fine. As long as Naruto stayed quiet, he could fix this.

Moving away from the blond, and over to where his brother had retreated to, clearly interested in speaking, he stopped beside him and licked his lips. "I know you want him to suffer, but I'm not going to let that be how you do it. He could bite your dick off."

"That's what the thing you threw away was for," Itachi said dryly.

"It doesn't matter. You're intent on doing the worst things imaginable to him, which is fine, but when did this become about personal pleasure?" He glared at his brother. "If you wanna make this perverted and sexual, fine, but don't include yourself in it. You wanted him to jerk off before, make him do it now."

Sasuke didn't know that that was necessarily a good idea, considering the blond's phobia, but he'd been doing decently well with it lately, and Itachi wasn't going to let this go so easily. At least with something like this, he would probably go for it.

And apparently, he was right. He could see his brother thinking about it, and cast a glance at Naruto. The blond was staring at him, horrified, his face pale. Sasuke turned his attention back to Itachi. Naruto couldn't possibly fault him for this, he'd saved him from giving his brother a blowjob. That had to count for something, right?

"All right. You have the pleasure of undressing him." Itachi pulled his gun out. "Don't worry, if he hurts you, I'll just shoot him."

Holding back a wince, Sasuke turned to Naruto and headed towards him, the blond shaking his head, looking horrified. The Uchiha bent down in front of him and made a huge show of taking off the other's cuffs, taking his time.

"I'm sorry, it was that or you'd have his cock in your throat."

"I'll take yours," Naruto blurted out.

Sasuke froze. "What?"

"If he wants me to suck someone's cock," the blond's eyes skirted to Itachi, who was sitting behind the camera, "tell him I'll suck yours."

The youngest Uchiha glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Naruto. "I don't know that he'd go for that now. I think it was him or this."

"Ayuu," the blond suddenly said, looking past Sasuke. "You want me to suck someone's cock? I'll suck Essyu's."

"And what satisfaction would I get from that?" Itachi asked, clearly getting impatient.

"You watch porn, right? Look at this as porn." Naruto got onto his knees, licking his lips. "I'll suck Essyu. I just can't do you. I've never done it before, and your cock is too big."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at that comment, but he knew for a fact it was just Naruto trying to butter Itachi up to gain his favour. Truthfully, he didn't think it would work, but Itachi was actually silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding.

"Fine." He stood and started for the item Sasuke had thrown away, but Naruto stopped him.

"I don't need that." He licked his lips, eyes on the floor. "If I bite his dick, you can shoot out my knees."

Itachi looked at Sasuke inquiringly, since it _was _his dick. The raven let out a slow sigh and nodded.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"It's your dick," his brother said with a smirk in his tone, then moved back to the camera and hit the record button. "Whenever you're ready."

"Wait," Sasuke said, turning to Itachi. "Give me your gun."

Obviously, this displeased Itachi, because it proved that Sasuke didn't have his own on him, but his brother stood and walked over to him, handing over his gun before returning to his seat. The younger Uchiha turned to Naruto and let out a slow breath.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

"Rather this than what he wants," Naruto whispered, eyes darting to Itachi to make sure he hadn't heard. "I just won't do a good job."

"It's okay." Sasuke bent down in front of him and started to reach for his cuffs before realizing he'd already removed them. "I'm gonna aim the gun at you so that it's you being forced." Which, really, was true, but details. "Don't try and take me in all the way, and just do what you can."

He felt kind of stupid for trying to give advice on how to give a blowjob, especially since he was still a little pissed off at the blond, but he felt bad for him. So he just did his best to get him set up and then took a few steps back.

"Okay," he said to Itachi. "Cut out everything before this."

"I was going to." Itachi sounded insulted. Sasuke just ignored him and made sure the safety was on for the gun before striding forward and aiming it at the blond's head.

Naruto glared up at him, Sasuke hoping he was just doing his part, and looked away. Letting out a slow breath, and hating this, Sasuke pulled back his hand and smacked Naruto across the face with the gun. He tried to use his hand more than the actual weapon, but he knew regardless that the blow had hurt.

The blond fell over, turning to glare hatefully, and while Sasuke wanted to apologize, he just kept his gaze cold and aimed the gun at him again. Gritting his teeth, Naruto sat up again, getting on his knees, and bringing his hands to the raven's pants. He jerked the button open angrily, obviously displeased, and ripped down the fly.

Pulling on either side of the jeans Sasuke was wearing, he got them down to mid thigh, before focussing on what was staring him in the face. Despite everything, the Uchiha couldn't help but be turned on, so at least Naruto wouldn't have much to do.

Reaching out with one hand, the blond glanced up at him briefly, and then leaned forward, his other hand gripping Sasuke's hip.

Letting out a slow breath, Sasuke threaded one hand through the blond's hair, the other holding the gun to his temple. He checked again to make sure the safety was on, and then clenched a fistful of hair in his hand.

He watched the blond move, eying what he was doing, and appreciating how well he was taking all of this considering he'd never done it before. Sasuke groaned, letting his head fall back and relishing the sensations going through him. He rocked his hips forward slightly, being mindful not to make this more uncomfortable than it already was for Naruto.

For a first time, he was doing well.

Sasuke peeked open one eye to glance at Itachi, and wished he hadn't. It was just wrong to find out his brother was pleasuring himself while watching him get a blowjob. He immediately focussed his attention back on Naruto, who seemed to really be getting into it, now. Either the kid was definitely gay, or he at least enjoyed pleasuring Sasuke.

The Uchiha continued to rake his hand through the blond's hair, coaxing him closer, and groaning. He could feel the pressure increasing, and knew it wouldn't be long. Naruto probably wasn't going to be ready for that, but he wouldn't be able to pull away.

He figured the best he could do was try and warn him it was coming, which was what he did. As soon as he knew he was about to release, his stomach muscles tensed, and he tugged hard on Naruto's hair, hoping he got the message. Then, he came, letting out a strangled cry and gritting his teeth together. The blond pulled away, coughing hard, and Sasuke gasped, releasing his grip on the other's hair.

He made a show of tucking himself in before turning and walking out of the frame. He heard his brother grunt, and was glad he'd kept his gaze on Naruto, though the blond had looked and made a disgusted face. It quickly smoothed over, probably because Itachi was done.

"Finish up down here. I'll be upstairs. Bring me the camera when you're done."

"Sure," Sasuke said, still not looking at him. He listened to Itachi climb the stairs, and only moved to the camera once the door at the top closed.

He stopped the recording, put the gun down far out of Naruto's reach, and turned back to the blond, trying not to wince. "Sorry I hit you."

"You made it believable." Naruto shrugged. "And it didn't really hurt. Not because you don't hit hard, but because you didn't use the whole gun like Ayuu does. Trust me, noticeable difference."

"Yeah, I was trying not to injure you too much." Sasuke headed for the bathroom and grabbed one of the towels, turning on the faucet and soaking it through before turning it back off and heading over to Naruto. "Here. Clean yourself up for a second. I'll get you a change of clothes, and then let you use the bathroom so you can wash your face and brush your teeth."

"Thanks." Naruto took it and started cleaning the cum off his lips and cheeks. "It wasn't that bad, you know. I mean, the circumstances sucked but it wasn't bad."

"You weren't bad," Sasuke admitted with a smirk. "You sure that was your first time?" he asked, walking over to the camera and gun so he could bring them up when he went to get the other's clothing.

"Does sucking on popsicles count?"

Sasuke snorted, picking everything up and heading for the stairs. "I'll be right back."

"Hey Essyu?"

He turned to look at the blond, who offered him a smile.

"Thanks for helping. And... yeah."

Sasuke knew he was apologizing in his own way, and smirked at him. "Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

Naruto beamed. "Fuck Britannia."

* * *

**October 3rd, 01:12**

Tsunade squinted her eyes sleepily while wrapping a bathrobe around herself and hurrying from her room. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she knew for certain that Minato was throwing up, and she wondered if maybe he'd had food poisoning or something.

The only reason she'd heard him was because he was using the bathroom closest to her room, which coincidentally, was closest to his study. Hurrying down the short corridor, she turned into the open doorway and bent down beside the man, remembering having to do this a lot when Kushina had died and the other had drunk himself into a stupor night after night.

He definitely wasn't drunk right now, though, which was why she assumed it was food poisoning. She rubbed gently at his back for a few seconds while he continued to dry-heave.

"I'll get you some water," she said when it seemed he had nothing left to expel.

She started to stand but the other turned to her and pulled at her, forcing her onto her knees. Minato wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, crying and continuing to somewhat dry-heave against the chest. She didn't really mind, considering she now remembered it was one of the drop off nights, and Minato had clearly seen something he didn't want to.

"I can't do this," Minato sobbed. "I need him back. He has to come back. I can't watch this anymore."

Tsunade almost asked what he'd seen, but considering the other videos had been bad and he hadn't reacted like this, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"He'll be back soon," she whispered, trying to convince him more than herself. "He'll be back and everything will be all right."

"How could they do these things?" Minato demanded. "Why didn't they just take me? I would suffer that! I _should _suffer that! Why him?!"

Tsunade winced, hugging him tighter, and rubbed her hand up and down his back while he continued to cry and demand why this was happening to his son.

She decided that once Minato was asleep, she was going to find the newest disc, write down the next drop's date and location, and then destroy the blasted thing.

She really didn't want Kiba sneaking in again and watching something that was making Minato react like this.

* * *

**October 3rd, 10:58**

Naruto let out a slow breath, nuzzling further into his pillow when the smell of something sweet met his nose. Unwillingly, his brain forced him almost violently back to consciousness, his head lifting off his pillow and nose sniffing at the air, tracking a scent which seemed to be right under it. He could almost reach out and touch the smell, it was so strong.

"Wakey wakey," Essyu's voice said, a smirk obvious in his tone.

Groaning, the blond rolled over, rubbing at his mouth and collecting the drool present there, then stretched and rubbed at his chest. "Wakey wakey?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. "Seriously? I'm really rubbing off on you if you're waking me up with that, now."

"If you're not going to play nice, I'm not going to give you these pancakes."

Naruto sat up, stretching, and turned to face Essyu, crossing his legs and grinning. "You know I want those. Can I brush my teeth first though?"

"One step ahead of you." He felt a bottle get put in one hand, and a glass in the other. "Mouthwash. Spit it out in the glass. That way your pancakes won't get cold."

"So thoughtful," Naruto teased, but did as he was told, pouring some of the Listerine—he assumed it was Listerine, everything was Listerine—into his mouth, swishing it around a little bit, and then spat it out into the glass. With that done, he set them both down on the ground and did grabby hands in Essyu's direction. "Gimme!"

He felt the plate in his hands and brought it closer, searching blindly for the fork and upon finding it, he immediately dug in, letting out a loud exclamation.

"Dude! Good! Holy crap, what kind of syrup is this? It's amazing!"

"It's Maple Syrup. Real, pure, Canadian Maple Syrup."

"Who do I have to kill to get this?" Naruto demanded, taking another huge bite. "God, it's so good!"

Essyu chuckled, the chair creaking loudly to inform Naruto that he was sitting in his usual spot. "Ayuu has an acquaintance at work who's Canadian. Every time he goes home, he brings some back for him. He's got a bigger sweet tooth than I do."

"Dude, all that bad mouthing we've been doing about Canada?" Naruto waved his fork slightly. "Uh uh, we're bad people. I take it all back. This is amazing!"

The other chuckled again. "Really? You take it all back just because they have good Maple Syrup?"

"Hey man, you know that old story about how the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" Naruto motioned himself. "I'm a man. And it's true." He paused. "Probably why I fell for you so hard," he teased, taking another bite of his food.

Essyu snorted at him, but didn't say anything, and Naruto finished off his breakfast in a comfortable silence. He was practically licking the plate by the time he was done, and Essyu told him he could get him some more. While Naruto would have liked some more, he felt that it would have made him feel sick so he declined and Essyu brought the plate back upstairs.

When he returned, he took a seat in his chair once more. "How's your throat?"

"Throat?" Naruto blinked.

"I don't know if I was thrusting into you too hard or anything. Just making sure you're not gonna have any problems."

"Nah, it's fine." The blond smiled, wishing for the millionth time he didn't have a mask on so he could rub at his eyes. "My face hurts a little, but it's tolerable, so no worries. But shit, dude, how did you take me in all the way?" Naruto shifted closer to the edge of the futon, closer to Essyu. "I mean, I was trying, but all it made me wanna do was hurl. My gag reflex kept kicking in and I kept almost throwing up on your dick."

"Really? I didn't notice."

Naruto wondered if he was being sarcastic, but then determined he wasn't. His tone wasn't right for sarcasm.

"Well, good that you didn't. But I tried. Seriously, how do you do it?"

"Practice? I can control my gag reflex? I don't know, I just can." Essyu snorted. "Lots of people can. But don't beat yourself up, it was your first try. You have plenty of time to practice," he reassured him.

"Perv," Naruto snorted, leaning back. "I'd call you a pedo, too, but I don't know that that's accurate. How old are you, anyway?"

"I turned seventeen in July. Your birthday is coming up, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be seventeen on October tenth." Naruto frowned. "Are we even still in September? Or are we in October now? I lost track."

"Today's the third. So, seven more days."

"So, what are we doing for my birthday?" Naruto asked with a grin, leaning forward. "You gonna bake me a cake? You should totally bake me a cake, I'd be interested to see what a cake by you would taste like."

Essyu snorted, but when he answered, the blond knew he was smirking. "What am I, your chef?"

"Sort of."

Another snort. "We'll see. Depends on whether or not I have the ingredients. But if I do, I'll bake you a cake. With frosting and everything."

Naruto didn't miss the teasing tone and barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "You know, I'm kind of excited for my birthday, now."

"Why?"

The blond beamed at the other. "Because I'll be spending it with someone I actually care about."


	13. The Phobia

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer: Kishimoto Masashi did not approve of my crashing his dinner party in an attempt to steal Kiba, but really, it wasn't _my_ fault! If he didn't want me flying through his dining room window and racing along his table, maybe he should've told his guards not to shoot at me with real guns!  
**

**Also, Scarecrow Series, and all other Matthew Reilly related books in this fic and chapter still belong to the incredibly talented Mr. Matthew Reilly. It is unreal how much I love him |D  
**

* * *

**October 4th, 14:27**

"Fuck you, that is so not true," Naruto insisted with a laugh. "You're totally shitting me!"

"I don't shit people," Sasuke replied with a smirk. "Yes, I'm serious. And if you tell a soul, I'll kill you."

"Oh, man. I see you in a new light, Essyu. Totally new light." Naruto grinned at him, and he snorted.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Sasuke stiffened involuntarily, wondering if his brother had heard their conversation. Admittedly, he'd been a lot more open with the blond of late, but he couldn't help that. It was weird not letting the blond know at least _some_things about him.

"Essyu, come upstairs."

"He needs a wider range of vocabulary," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke couldn't help the small laugh that forced itself from his throat and stood, heading for the stairs. Realistically, it was true. Most of what Naruto heard from Itachi was him telling Sasuke to come upstairs.

Climbing them slowly, he exited the basement and closed the door behind himself, frowning at Itachi when he saw the other packing himself some food. "What's going on?"

"I need to go in to work."

"Okay." Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets.

He didn't ask him for how long, or when he'd be back. He honestly didn't care. He just knew as soon as his brother was gone, he was going to tell Naruto it was time to shower. Considering the previous video, he knew his brother was going to make him jack off next time, and Naruto needed as much naked time before then as he could get.

Sasuke stood in the kitchen, watching Itachi finish packing up a dinner, and then leave the house without a word. The younger brother turned and headed back for the stairs, hearing the back door lock. He pulled open the door and started down the narrow steps, grabbing his mask off his chair while passing it.

"Essyu?"

"You were hoping for someone else?"

"Fuck no," Naruto said with a grin. "I always hope it's you."

Sasuke snorted and crouched in front of him, reaching back to undo his mask. "Ayuu's gonna be gone for a little bit. Shower time."

"Oh happy day," Naruto said sarcastically, rubbing at his eyes once they were uncovered. "Lead the way, oh fearless kidnapper." He grinned.

Snorting again, he undid the rest of the blond's restraints and then motioned him towards the bathroom. Naruto walked inside, and Sasuke followed, shutting the door behind himself. Then, he leaned back against it, trying to keep the pressure off the more injured areas, and watched Naruto strip.

It was almost strange to watch. Considering he knew what the other had been like only a few days ago, to see him easily pulling off his shirt and then discarding his pants... it was weird. He knew the only reason he felt comfortable was because it was just Sasuke there, but still. Did the blond trust him _that _much?

"Feel free to join me," Naruto teased, hopping behind the curtain and starting the water.

"Don't send out an invite to a fake party," Sasuke insisted. "Tease," he muttered under his breath.

"Who said I was teasing?"

"Me. You're still doing it. What was that tone? A sing-song?" He snorted.

"Hey, I offered. If you miss out, your own fault."

Sasuke stared at the curtain hard, biting on his lower lip thoughtfully. If he did this, and Naruto ended up pulling off his mask, or even trying to escape, Itachi would kill Naruto, and then kill Sasuke.

If he didn't do it, he would kill himself for the missed opportunity.

But really, did he trust Naruto not to try and escape? After all, the blond was pretty good at just walking around without heading for the stairs, and cuffing himself back up of his own volition after showers. But he didn't know if Sasuke had a weapon on him.

Here, he would know.

And as if reading his mind, the blond spoke up.

"You can bring your knife in here or something if you're concerned this is a plan to escape. I understand your hesitation, I'd be concerned, too."

Chewing on his bottom lip some more, Sasuke decided that, fuck it, he was only gonna live once, and he didn't like this whole kidnapping thing anyway. If Itachi wanted to keep the kid, he should've been home and taking care of him more often!

Pulling off his shirt, he made sure the mask was still on and then reached down to undo his jeans, pulling them off quickly, glad he always went commando, and then walked over to the edge of the curtain. He let out a slow breath before pulling it back and stepping into the shower, wrenching it shut behind himself.

* * *

**October 4th, 14:40**

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek, hard, listening for Essyu's movements after his offer. The other didn't seem to be willing to take him up on it, and for a second, he deflated, figuring maybe the kidnapper thought himself above this or something. But then he almost smacked his forehead because he remembered he was a prisoner, and Essyu was wearing a mask. And he wasn't handcuffed right now.

Duh.

"You can bring your knife in here or something if you're concerned this is a plan to escape. I understand your hesitation, I'd be concerned, too."

He listened hard over the sound of the shower, trying to determine whether the other was coming in or not, and then jumped when he heard the curtain get pulled away. Turning around, he saw Essyu stepping in, his mask still on, and then wrench the curtain shut.

Naruto grinned at him, letting his eyes wander appreciatively along the other's body. Seeing the other naked was enough to remind him that he was, too, and for one second, his heart slammed hard against his ribs, but he forced himself to relax, and reminded himself the pedo was in jail, and slowly, the painful thuds disappeared.

"You came."

"Not yet."

Oh, he was definitely smirking behind that mask. Naruto just continued to grin at him before grabbing the soap and handing it to him.

"You can get my back."

"Is that why you wanted me in here? To soap up your back?"

"Did you have something else in mind?" Naruto teased, turning his back on Essyu and grabbing the shampoo so he could wash his hair.

The other didn't say anything, and Naruto just leaned back into the massaging touches of the man behind him, his own hands digging into his own scalp to ensure his hair was clean, though considering his previous shower was probably less than twelve hours ago, he doubted it was dirty. He'd never showered so many times in his life.

And without a towel, too! It felt so much nicer without the towel!

While he borrowed the soap from Essyu and got to work cleaning the front of his body, he asked the other about his own showering habits, and when he took them since he always seemed to be downstairs with him. Essyu explained, between kisses to his shoulder, that it was usually before dinner. He'd shower and then make his food.

The two of them then went off on a tangent about the worst places they'd ever had to shower, Essyu always touching his skin or kissing his shoulders and neck while they spoke. Naruto's eyes slid shut and he leaned back against the other, feeling a hand shifting against his backside, nails digging into the flesh.

The blond wasn't even really aware of when things had progressed how they had, all he knew was that they'd been talking, and then he'd found himself pressed forward against the wall, Essyu moving against him. He didn't know much about gay sex, but he knew enough to know he needed to be prepped, and for the life of him, he didn't remember the prepping.

But it had to have happened, because there was no way this wasn't hurting him if he hadn't been prepped. Right? Well, truthfully, he wasn't sure, but either way, it didn't hurt, and he felt Essyu's body pressed flat against his own, the other breathing hard in his ear. Naruto was breathing just as hard against the wall.

"Shit, this wasn't supposed to happen," Essyu seethed.

"Well, it did," Naruto forced out between pants, fingers splayed on the tile wall. "So you better do something about it before I kill you."

"So bossy," Essyu said with a smirk, biting at Naruto's ear.

It was only then, despite all the kisses he'd been getting during the shower, that he realized the other's mask was at least partially off.

"Is your mask still on?" He had to know.

"Why?"

"Because I wanna make sure I don't turn around if it's not. And I'm gonna want to suck your face while we do this."

There was silence for a few seconds, the only sounds that of the water hitting the bottom of the shower. Then, he heard a loud thump and saw a black mass on the floor beside his feet. Then, a hand slowly shifted over his eyes, pulling his head back so it was resting against the other's shoulder.

"Better?"

"You trust me too much," Naruto insisted, turning his head slightly to bite at the other's jaw.

"You trust me too much, too."

The blond let out a loud shout when Essyu got rougher, one hand reaching back to bury in the other's damp hair, tugging harshly. His other hand was sliding along the tile wall in front of him.

Essyu grunted in his ear, hips moving forward harshly, until the blond's back arched and his cries went up a notch. Evidently, that was what the other wanted, because he kept that angle, hitting the same spot continuously.

Embarrassing as it was, Naruto had never had sex before, and with everything going on, he ended up releasing without any other kind of stimulation. A strangled shout left his throat, his head falling forward and his knees shaking.

Chuckling in his ear, he could hear Essyu panting harshly.

"That was fast," he said, biting along Naruto's jawline and continuing to breathe hard against his skin. "I'll have to make sure I stop you next time."

The blond couldn't say anything. He just grit his teeth and struggled to breathe while feeling himself slowly being stimulated again. Just the other's repetitive movements were enough.

"Fuck," he hissed, hands closing into fists against the wall. "Fuck..."

He could hear Essyu grunting behind him, and after a few more minutes, the other let out a low groan against Naruto's neck.

Essyu took one step back, but stayed close enough that Naruto's back was still pressed against his chest. The kidnapper continued to breathe hard, then asked, "What happened to that promised kissing?"

"I'm sorry, you fucked my brains out, I wasn't really thinking about the kissing part," Naruto replied with a bark of laughter. Essyu chuckled in his ear.

"You should clean yourself out. I meant to pull out but I got caught up in the moment."

He felt the other shift uncomfortably, and knew he wanted his mask back. Naruto started to bend down, forcing Essyu with him, and felt around on the ground for it, fingers closing around the damp material and standing again, holding it over his shoulder.

"We're way too fucked up, you know," he said with a snort, Essyu taking it with his free hand, and removing the one from Naruto's eyes so he could pull it on. The blond didn't even attempt to look behind himself. "We trust each other too much."

"I know. It's bad." Essyu climbed out of the shower, and Naruto turned then, the water beating against his back. It was starting to go cold.

"I'll wait for you to finish up," Essyu called over the sound of the water. "Then I'll set you up down here with the next Matthew Reilly book and go upstairs to change."

"Sounds good."

Naruto couldn't help but feel weird. He'd just lost his virginity—well, sort of, did it count if he was the one who got fucked?—in a shower to a stranger. Well, not a stranger, but someone he didn't know all that well, and that he still hadn't seen and probably never would.

Did he regret it?

Oddly enough... no. He didn't.

"This is so fucked up," he whispered to himself, not knowing or caring if Essyu had heard him.

* * *

**October 4th, 18:22**

"This is so bad," Sasuke whispered to himself while frying up some chicken for dinner. He wasn't in the mood for anything complicated so he'd just cooked some chicken in soya sauce and was making rice in another pot. Just plain old chicken with rice for dinner tonight. Considering where his head was at, though, Naruto would be lucky if he didn't burn it.

He'd known if he fucked the other that he wouldn't be able to let him go. He'd specifically reminded himself of that constantly while in the shower with him. He didn't even know what had happened. All of a sudden, he'd had the shampoo in his hand. Then he'd been prepping him, and then… Fuck, and then, he'd screwed his brains out.

This was so bad! Why had he fucking done this?! It was going to be impossible for him to let the other go now, he was forever going to want to hog him. To keep him to himself. Not let anyone else touch him. But he couldn't _do _that because Naruto didn't belong to him.

"Fuck," he hissed to himself, rubbing his mouth with his left hand. He had to tell Itachi.

"No, I'm not telling Itachi," he insisted, shaking his head.

He was just worried when the time came to bring Naruto home, he wouldn't. But he knew Itachi wouldn't let him keep him. Naruto wasn't a pet. And as much of a dick as his brother was, as long as Naruto didn't get himself shot before the twenty-second, the blond was going to go home.

Unless he decided he wanted more money. Which would be bad because then Naruto would be kept in Itachi's eyes for more money, and Sasuke would be so hooked on him that he wouldn't be able to talk Itachi out of keeping him. Which was really bad.

"Fuck, this is so bad," he hissed, then realized the chicken was smoking and hastily flipped it over.

Still, at least he knew Itachi knew he was attached. That would hopefully help when it came time to send him home. Again, only if his brother didn't decide to keep him.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Itachi wasn't going to keep him. Minato had been adding more and more money to his drops. At this point, Itachi could ask for time off again until the end of the kidnapping, but he knew he wouldn't. Extra money was always good. Still, now he felt it would be best if they sent Naruto home sooner rather than later.

Before it was too late and Sasuke never let him go home.

"No," he whispered to himself. "That's not gonna happen."

He yanked the lid off the pot of rice and fluffed it with a fork before deducing it was done and turning off the heat. Grabbing two plates, he spooned some rice onto them, then added the chicken, and poured soya sauce overtop the entire plate. Grabbing two forks, one metal knife, and one plastic one, he made sure he had everything before moving towards the table, snatching up his still-damp mask, and yanking it on with a disgusted wince.

Picking the food back up, he headed for the basement door, balancing the two plates on one arm before opening it and descending the stairs.

"Something smells like it's burning," Naruto called across the basement.

"I'm burning the house down to hide my brother's horrible sense of fashion," Sasuke replied with a snort.

"Dude, so not funny," Naruto insisted with a grin, shifting on the futon and watching him approach.

Sasuke moved to his usual chair, setting the plates down on it before bending down to grab Naruto's mask, straightening and turning to the blond. The other teen let out a sigh, marked his page in his book, and set it down. Sasuke approached him and secured the mask before taking a step back and removing his own.

"Can you read some more of _Ice Station _while I eat?" the blond asked, holding his hands out for his plate.

"After, I have food, too."

"Boo! What do _you _need food for?" Naruto insisted, pretending to pout.

Sasuke just snorted, grabbing the blond's plate, and handing it to him. It wasn't until he grabbed his own that he realized he'd forgotten his glass of water upstairs. "Mind if I drink some of your water?"

"As long as you promise to refill it," the blond said, reaching blindly for his bottle and setting it down between them on the floor.

Sasuke started eating, watching Naruto struggle through cutting chicken he couldn't see, and then accusing him of having done it on purpose. He hadn't, but it was still entertaining to watch, so he just smirked and enjoyed the other's plight.

He noticed that the blond was being careful not to mention anything about their earlier activities, and it made him feel a little guilty. Not that sex was something to apologize for unless it was rape, but still, he was sure he wasn't exactly who Naruto had had in mind when it came to his first fuck.

So he decided that if Naruto wasn't going to bring it up, neither was he. They continued their evening like always, with banter and joking, and Sasuke continued rereading _Ice Station _since the other series by Matthew Reilly he'd tried to get Naruto on hadn't been as appealing to him.

When Itachi came home, Sasuke went upstairs to greet him, and the two of them spoke for a bit, Itachi smoking a cigarette and Sasuke resisting the urge to, since he'd be going back downstairs to sleep across the basement and, for some reason, he felt like he'd disappoint Naruto if he smelled like smoke.

It was while he was upstairs that a thought occurred to him. He asked his brother about his ideas for the next video, and when Itachi informed him he was going to make Naruto jerk off, as Sasuke had expected, the younger Uchiha started forming a plan in his head.

When he returned downstairs after having gone to the bathroom and gotten himself in order, he decided he'd talk to Naruto about it in the morning, since he was sure the other was tired and wanted to sleep.

Apparently he'd been wrong, because they'd ended up talking until close to two in the morning.

* * *

**October 5th, 11:47**

"I really think this is a bad idea," Naruto said in a low voice, licking his lips. "I mean, what if he gets pissed off? What if he belts you again?"

Essyu snorted from across the room, the blond watching him set up the camera on a tripod. "He'll get what he wants, he'll have no reason to get mad."

"Yeah, but he also knows I feel comfortable around you. Maybe he doesn't know just _how _comfortable, but he knows I'm cool with you. He likes to make me suffer and you're kind of taking that ability away from him."

"Naruto," Essyu said, looking up at him over the camera, "he's going to get a video of you jerking off. I really don't think he'll care if he was present for it or not."

"Let's hope you're right," Naruto muttered, shifting on the futon.

Honestly, when Essyu had told him that Ayuu was planning on making him jack off, he'd freaked. Again. Somehow, it was all right when it was in the shower with Essyu, but sitting on a futon jerking off with people watching him... he couldn't do that. He knew he couldn't.

Which was probably why it had taken Essyu snapping at him for the blond to finally listen to what he was saying. Namely that they would record the video before Ayuu got home from work, since he'd started going in more often lately. It sounded like a good idea, but Naruto knew better. The other kidnapper was not going to be happy, no matter what Essyu thought.

Sure, Naruto might not know Ayuu as well as his own brother did, but he knew him well enough to know this wasn't going to go over well. Still, he had to try, because if it somehow magically _did _work out, he would be a happy little clam.

"Okay, it's all set up." Essyu hit the record button, the camera beeping, and then shifted his weight towards the stairs before shifting it back, as if unsure of where he should go. "Should I leave?"

"I honestly don't know," Naruto replied, playing with the hem of his sweats. "I don't know if it would be easier or harder."

"Okay, I'll leave and if it doesn't help, I'll come back." He waved the walkie talkie he held and headed for the stairs.

The blond licked his lips, then called out to him. "Wait."

Essyu paused near the base, turning to look at him.

Naruto licked his lips again. "I need something... I can't just... I'm not even turned on right now. How am I supposed to jack off to nothing? I can't even picture you, I don't know what you look like."

"I guess..." Essyu seemed unhappy with his answer, because he bit the words out, almost jealously, "think of your mutt friend."

"Kiba?" Naruto blinked. Yeah, he guessed that might kind of maybe work. "Okay, I guess."

Essyu nodded curtly and headed up the stairs. If Naruto hadn't known better, he'd have sworn the other was stomping.

When the door at the top shut, the blond let out a slow breath and pulled his pants down slightly. It took him a few minutes to actually get them down his thighs, and he swallowed hard once he finally had before proceeding with what he needed to do.

Why did this seem so hard? Nobody was even there, and Essyu had jerked him off before! Shit, Essyu had _fucked _him and he'd been fine.

The blond frowned, thinking about that, and realized that was probably good wanking material. So he closed his eyes and tried to think back on their shower sex. While he'd wanted to bring it up with Essyu, he didn't know how without sounding like a lovesick moron, and the other hadn't brought it up, either. He half-wondered if Essyu regretted it, but felt that was impossible.

Essyu wouldn't have fucked him in the first place if he was going to regret it later. To him, sex was probably just sex. Sure, they were attracted to each other, but still. Wasn't like they were in love or anything.

Dispelling the thoughts from his mind, he forced himself to focus, grinding his teeth while forcing his hand to move. He tried to remember the feel of Essyu's lips on his skin, the way his hands had moved across his body, his breath against his ear.

Naruto's breathing started coming faster, his head tilting back and a grunt forcing itself up his throat. He tried not to make any more sounds. He didn't know where the camera was aimed, but he knew he wasn't meant to be liking this, or else Ayuu would make him do it again. This time, with a gun in his ass or something.

The thought of a gun in his ass made him start to freak out again and he sped up, trying to get this done quickly, and struggling to keep the shower image in his head.

After a few more minutes, another grunt left his throat, and he finally released. Opening his eyes after his chest had stopped constricting, he stared down at his soiled hand for a few seconds before pulling the sweats back up with his good one, grunting in annoyance when he realized he shouldn't have. He would need the other pair. Hopefully they'd been washed.

Reaching out for the walkie-talkie with his clean hand, he put it to his lips. "I'm done," he informed the other.

_"I'll be there in a second. Did you think about your friend?"_

Naruto almost said he had, just because it would make things easier, but at the same time, he didn't want to lie about it. He decided he wouldn't say what he thought about unless Essyu asked. If he didn't ask, then he supposed the other would never know.

"No, I found something else."

_"Hn. Be right down."_

* * *

**October 5th, 22:58**

"Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?" Minato asked Kiba with a tired smile, taking the letter the other was holding out to him and then pulling a bag out from under his desk.

He could feel the other's eyes on him, and did his best to ignore him. He knew he looked like shit, and he knew Kiba wanted to know about the previous video, but Minato refused. Absolutely _refused _to do that to him. To do that to anyone. He wished he could erase it from Naruto's mind when he got home, but he knew that wasn't possible.

His only solace while watching that video had been that Naruto had still been defiant at the end. His son was still there, still holding on to himself, and he prayed to God that he would manage to keep himself together until he was released.

"That looks like a lot of money," Kiba whispered, making Minato look up at him after having zipped the bag back up.

"It is," he replied in a low voice. "Almost four-hundred thousand dollars. It's all I had left from my last bank visit. I'll have to go again tomorrow."

"Is the added money helping?" Kiba asked, hands in his pockets. "I mean, did they say anything about it recently?" Minato knew Kiba was aware that the kidnappers had already said that it wouldn't get his son released any sooner, but he supposed the other was wondering if anything had changed since that video.

Minato's reply suggested it hadn't.

"They're still not going to release him sooner than planned, but I'm hoping." He forced a smile, but it was tight. "Only five days until his birthday. I want him here for it."

"Me too," the brunet said with a wince. "Fuck, I don't even..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I should go. It's late."

"You'll be here tomorrow? For the staff?" Minato asked anxiously.

Kiba just gave him a reassuring smile, promised him he would be, and started to leave. Then he paused, and turned back to him, hand on the doorhandle and the wooden piece ajar. "Mr. Namikaze?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really not going to tell me what was on that last video?"

Just the thought of it was making his stomach churn and Minato felt the need to sit down before remembering he was already seated. "No."

"Was he hurt?"

Minato let out a slow breath. "Yes."

"Is he going to be okay?"

Recalling the defiance in his son's eyes, the blond let out a shaky breath and raked one hand through his hair. "I hope so. I really hope so."

"Yeah," Kiba whispered. "Good luck tonight, Mr. Namikaze. I hope everything goes all right."

"Thank you, Kiba."

The teenager nodded, hit the door lightly with his fist, then exited the office. Minato leaned forward, burying his face in his hands and forcing himself to breathe. He just hoped tonight's video would be more tolerable than the last.

* * *

**October 6th, 8:27**

"Really?" Sasuke asked, forcing back a yawn while sitting at the kitchen table, trying hard not to let Itachi know he was pissed off about being awoken so early. Sure, the other had to go to work, but couldn't he have just called later about this or something?

Then again, Itachi had been pretty nice about the jacking off not having been done in his presence, so Sasuke felt he was getting happier the more money they got. He didn't want to sour his mood and get a whipping for his stunt with the camera yesterday.

"He's throwing a wrench in my calculations, and while I want to be angry, he's helping us more with what he's doing." Itachi scowled, pacing slightly from one side of the kitchen to the other, bowl of cereal in one hand, though he hadn't taken a bite from it.

Sasuke suspected all the cereal was soggy and gross by now. One reason he wasn't a big cereal fan.

"More money is good, so who cares?" Sasuke shrugged. "If he keeps this up, we'll have almost half of what we asked for added on top of what we got. That's a good thing."

"It's making me wonder if we should return him early."

Sasuke felt his chest constrict at the words, but he also didn't miss the look he got from his brother. Itachi was testing him, the bastard! If Sasuke argued to keep him, he'd accuse him of getting attached. If he argued with letting him go, he'd accuse him of being soft. Not that Sasuke thought he could argue the letting him go angle, but that wasn't really the point. This was a lose-lose for him, and Itachi knew it.

Forcing himself to lean back in an almost bored fashion, he shrugged one shoulder, crossing his arms and averting his gaze. "Do whatever you want."

"Well played, little brother," Itachi replied, clearly amused. "Keep the moron entertained. I'll do some numbers at work, and we'll see."

Sasuke forced himself not to wince. He didn't want to lose Naruto now. Not yet. It was too soon. He'd been anticipating having until the twenty-second with him, and now he felt cheated. Cheated by the blond's own father, which only made him hate him more than he already did.

Then again, this might be good. If he didn't let Naruto go soon, he was never going to. He might escape with him while Itachi was at work and never be heard from again.

_Fuck, when did I turn into a romantic sap? _he thought to himself, disgusted. This was ridiculous, he was an Uchiha! How the fuck had some blond cretin gotten under his skin like that?!

But even thinking an insult about Naruto was hard for him. The blond was just such a genuinely nice and happy person. He wasn't fake, like Sasuke had assumed he would be. He was nice, and happy, and selfless, and probably the most respectable human being on the planet. He was someone Sasuke wished he'd met under better circumstances. Someone he could have pursued normally, because it would mean the possibility of keeping him.

And now... Now no one was ever going to be good enough. Sasuke was going to spend the rest of his life alone because everyone would be compared to Naruto, and no one would ever come close. He knew that already, because of all the people he'd already met, no one had come close. He was so screwed, and it was all Naruto's fault!

He wanted to be mad at him. To hate him for doing this, but he couldn't. Honestly, it was all Itachi's fault for kidnapping him, and it was much easier to blame Itachi than it was to blame Naruto. Naruto had done nothing wrong other than let Sasuke have his way.

Jerking to his feet angrily, he grumbled that he was going back to bed and stomped down the stairs much louder than he'd intended.

"Essyu?" a groggy voice floated across the basement.

"Go back to sleep," he snapped, falling onto his own futon and pulling up the covers.

"Is everything okay?"

"Fine, go back to sleep."

"You're not very convincing. Don't make me threaten to come over there even though we both know I can't," Naruto warned.

The words, despite Sasuke's best efforts, made him snort and he sighed, sitting up and turning to look at Naruto. The blond was still lying on his side, but he was half-propped up on his elbow, eyebrows down in concern.

"Ayuu. Isn't it always?"

"I guess." Naruto shrugged. "Don't let him push you around. After all, where would he be without you? He'd have killed me weeks ago, and he'd not have gotten any money for his troubles." The blond grinned.

Sasuke snorted again, still finding it weird how Naruto could joke so casually about his kidnapping. Still, it was nice to know that this entire ordeal wouldn't have any adverse effects on him when he got home. Especially considering he could now shower without a towel.

"Come here," Naruto ordered, sitting up.

"Why?"

"Just come here," the blond insisted, motioning him over.

Sighing loudly enough for the blond to hear, he kicked off his blankets and walked across the basement, letting Naruto pull him down onto his futon. He was rolled onto his stomach, and the blond straddled his hips. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at the other, looking over his shoulder, but he knew the action was lost on him.

Naruto's hands explored his back lightly for a second, as if being mindful not to press down too hard on his injuries, then found his shoulders and started massaging them. A groan slid up Sasuke's throat, the raven burying his face into the other's pillow and letting out a content sigh.

He didn't know when he'd fallen asleep, but he knew it hadn't taken long. Not with those talented hands working away all his anger.

* * *

**October 6th, 11:16**

"Minato, I've told you, I have no desire to watch any of the videos," Tsunade argued, even as she attempted to veer herself off-course while the man of the house pulled her towards his office.

"I know. Tsunade, I know, and I'm sorry, but I just... I don't know what to make of it."

"And I don't want to know what to make of it," Tsunade insisted, almost at the point of snapping.

It didn't deter the blond man, who just pulled her into his office and forced her to sit in his chair. She scowled at the monitor, seeing it frozen on the opening "are you watching?" screen. Minato leaned past her to unpause it and she jumped to her feet.

"No. No, I can't. I'm sorry, I can't watch it, Minato."

"Tsunade, please."

She pushed her way past him to the door, shaking her head. "Make Kiba watch it, I refuse. I can't. I won't."

"Kiba won't understand it like we would, Tsunade."

For some reason, those words made her pause. She turned to look at Minato, who just stared back at her. He looked thin, his cheeks hollow, and all the colour seemed to have drained from his face. Despite Tsunade having forced him to shower earlier, his hair still looked greasy and lank, and his eyes were deep-set in his head, the dark circles beneath them making him look like a corpse.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly, the words still bouncing around in her head. What would only she and Minato know that the blond's best friend wouldn't know? Kiba knew everything about Naruto, except—

Her eyes widened slightly, and Minato motioned the chair again. She hesitated, still unsure she wanted to see this, then moved towards it, taking a seat. The blond man waited for her to compose herself, which she was thankful for, and then unpaused it when she nodded.

After the message had disappeared, it opened on Naruto sitting on a futon. Tsunade felt tears prick her eyes at the sight of him, but forced them back. She was just so happy to see he was all right. Or, as all right as he could be. He looked healthy, still, so he was eating, and he was clean. Considering what was happening, he looked relatively normal.

When Naruto pulled his pants down, it took a conscious effort for Tsunade not to look away. Once he started what he'd been ordered to do, she paused the video and looked at Minato. She didn't need to see the whole thing, and quite frankly, that was something she had no desire to see her somewhat son doing.

"They made him jerk off," Minato said, as if Tsunade hadn't seen it with her own eyes. "But he's not... he doesn't react. Aside from looking uncomfortable doing it, he doesn't..." Minato shook his head, still staring at the screen. "I'm happy, of course," he insisted, looking at Tsunade. "I'm so happy that he doesn't freak out, I just... _why_?"

A part of Tsunade wanted to be mad at him, but another louder part wasn't letting her. Because as horrible as what he'd been forced to do was, she was on the same level at Minato. Naruto hadn't freaked out. The blond had left this house, twenty-one days ago, still experiencing trauma from his childhood. And now... it was as if something had happened. Something had happened to him with the kidnappers that made him, not healed, but better.

He was still visibly uncomfortable, and it was obvious the beginning had been shortened, so for all they knew, it had taken Naruto hours to get his pants down. But the fact of the matter was, he'd gotten them down. Something had happened to help him get over his fear.

"I honestly... I don't know... How should I be feeling?" Minato asked her. "On the one hand, I'm furious and disgusted they made him do this, but on the other, I'm thrilled and relieved. It's just... I don't know what's appropriate."

"Honestly," the woman replied, thinking it over, "both, really. It's disgusting they made him do this, but the brat's finally getting better." She smiled slightly. "That's a good thing. And based on how he looks, he seems to still be himself. That's all that really matters to me."

* * *

**October 7th, 12: 32**

"I am bored. I'm so bored. So bored, so bored, so bored. I am bored, bored I am. Bored I am, I am bored." Naruto bobbed his head from side to side while singing a made up tune to how bored he was. It wasn't helping with the boredom, but at least he was doing something.

Essyu had had to go out for some groceries, and Ayuu had come home for lunch while he went out. And, of course, Ayuu wasn't going to come and keep him entertained, so while Essyu was gone, Naruto was going insane with boredom.

"Bored, bored, bored. Bored is what I am. I am so bored, please unbore me. Bored, bored, bored. I am so bored."

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Naruto perked up. "Essyu?"

He heard it shut again, and couldn't help but pout while leaning back against the wall again. "Oh, it's _you_," he muttered. "Come to rape my face with your gun again?"

Ayuu was quiet, as per usual, but Naruto could at least tell where he was headed once his shoes hit the basement floor. Usually he was barefoot, but the sound of polished shoes was easy to discern on the hard floor.

A chair was scraped and Naruto frowned when Ayuu stopped right in front of him, obviously sitting down in the seat. Well... this was ominous.

"Your father isn't very good at following instructions."

"Oh, great," Naruto muttered. "What did he do now? Am I officially dead?"

"He keeps providing more money than I've asked for. Not a complaint, mind you, but it does leave me in a bind."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. Somehow, he felt it was almost as if Ayuu was asking him if he wanted to go home early. But that was stupid, wouldn't Ayuu just do it if that was what he was thinking? Why would he bother asking what Naruto wanted?

"A bind in what way?"

"How long to keep you. I'm concerned with how attached my brother has become. Tell me, Namikaze, have you two fucked yet?"

The blond's eyebrow twitched angrily and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm sorry, were you talking to me? I have the decency to call you by the name you've provided, how about not being a dick and doing the same?"

Apparently, Ayuu was in a good mood, because Naruto didn't get smacked, and when the other replied, he still sounded amused. "Have you and my brother fucked yet, Uzumaki?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"Will he get in trouble depending on my answer?"

"I just want to know how difficult he's going to be when it's time to send you home."

Naruto tried to ascertain how truthful he was being, then slowly nodded when he felt he wasn't hiding anything. Considering, this was the nicest Ayuu had ever been to him. The added money must've been making his life easier. "Yeah, we've fucked."

"Hm. Interesting. Would you do it again?"

"Not on camera, if that's what you're suggesting," Naruto spat, somewhat disgusted. Especially since he didn't think he would be able to pretend hating it. Not if it was Essyu. Ayuu, no problem. Essyu... fuck, the guy had gotten under his skin way too well. This wasn't good.

"Just a simple inquiry. I'm just curious as to how my brother succeeded. How he made you fall for him so completely, and how you did the same."

"Hey, I never said I fell for him," Naruto insisted, crossing his arms. Even if it was probably true, he would never admit it. Not even to himself. That was just way too weird, falling for someone he'd never seen and still technically barely knew. "And even if I did, it's because he's not a complete dick. Trust me, if you kidnap more people, just let them spend time with Essyu and they'll be begging to stay."

Naruto clicked his teeth together, resisting the urge to curse. He hadn't meant to say that last bit, because he knew exactly how Ayuu was going to take it. And he was right, because the other stood, the chair scraping against the floor, and he heard his retreating footsteps.

"Okay," he called out, hearing the steps beginning to climb the stairs, "so I fell for him and now you're gonna keep me, but you'll send me home eventually, right? This whole being blind thing sucks!" His voice gradually got louder and louder, because he was sure Ayuu was ignoring him. "Hello?"

The door at the top shut and Naruto let out a slow, annoyed breath. "Fuck. Great. I'm gonna be stuck here forever."

* * *

**October 7th, 13:04**

Truth be told, Sasuke had been a little anxious the whole time he'd been shopping. He didn't know that he trusted Itachi home alone with Naruto, and had actually almost gotten into two accidents on the way back he was getting so worried.

By the time he got home, he actually just left the food in the car and hurried into the house. Itachi was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette while reading the paper. He didn't look up when Sasuke entered and strode to the basement door.

The younger Uchiha wrenched it open. "Naruto?"

"Yay! You're back! No more boredom!"

"Are you okay?"

A pause. "Uh, yeah? I'm hungry and bored, but otherwise I'm fine... why?"

Letting out a slow breath, Sasuke turned to look at Itachi, who was watching him now, amused.

"No reason, I'll be down in a bit with some food."

"Sweet!"

Sasuke shut the door and turned to his brother. He felt like he should say something, but didn't know what and at the same time didn't want to, so he just turned and started for the door so he could grab the groceries, but Itachi stopped him by speaking.

"I went downstairs while you were gone."

_I knew it,_Sasuke thought, teeth grit. "What did you do?"

"How assumptive of you. We spoke."

"About?" he asked carefully, still not having turned around. He was worried to look at his brother.

"You. I hear you two had a nice round."

Sasuke winced, wondering what that would mean to Itachi. He didn't sound pissed, but that didn't mean he wasn't. Though the other seemed in a good mood since the last drop off, so maybe the money was actually turning him into some semblance of human.

"So?"

"Did you know he's fallen for you?"

The younger Uchiha frowned at that, finally turning around to look at his brother, who seemed amused. Probably at the fact that Sasuke had also fallen for Naruto, who was the one person he was never going to be allowed to have.

"I doubt it."

"He's admitted it," Itachi replied. "He said, and I literally quote," the other pulled out his cell phone and hit a button on the side.

Sasuke could hear Naruto's voice coming from it, clear as day.

_"Hey, I never said I fell for him. And even if I did, it's because he's not a complete dick. Trust me, if you kidnap more people, just let them spend time with Essyu and they'll be begging to stay." _

The teenager wasn't sure what kind of expression he should have on his face at hearing those words. A part of him was ridiculously happy, and another felt this was bad. Very bad. Extremely bad. It was one thing when he could pretend that Naruto didn't feel the same way he did, but it was another when it was confirmed that he did.

Itachi was watching him, and he hit another button on his phone, the blond's voice coming from it for a second time, but more muffled, like he was further away.

_"Okay, so I fell for him and now you're gonna keep me, but you'll send me home eventually, right? This whole being blind thing sucks!"_

"He's amusing, that pet of yours," Itachi said, but Sasuke noticed his eyes had darkened. The old Itachi was coming back. "But he's not sticking around."

"I know."

"Why are you bothering to get attached?"

"I don't know," Sasuke insisted, annoyed at having to have this conversation with his brother. "Probably so that I can look back on my life later and feel that at one point, I was actually fucking happy."

He turned and wrenched the door open, stalking out of the house. He heard the chair scrape, the only indication that his brother was following. His arm was grabbed and he was wrenched around.

"We are not keeping him. Once the twenty-second rolls around, we're letting him go, whether you want us to or not."

"That's only if you decide you want to," Sasuke snapped, wrenching himself free. "You're so money-hungry, you could decide to keep him."

"Don't test me, little brother," Itachi said darkly. "He's going home, and you're never going to see him again. I suggest you get used to that."

Sasuke just turned to grab the groceries. He slammed the back door of the house so hard that one of the windows cracked. He knew Itachi would get pissed later, but for the moment, Sasuke didn't care. He was glad the other had left straight away, otherwise he probably would have killed him.

He knew he couldn't keep Naruto, he fucking _knew_ it! But did that mean he had to ruin what they fucking had right now?!


	14. The Missed Drop

**A/N: Hey, how's it goin'?  
**

**Disclaimer: I tried to replace Kiba with someone else named Kiba, but apparently Masashi Kishimoto isn't as blind as I'd originally anticipated and he figured out my oh so clever ruse. **

**Ice Station, Britannia line, and everything else related to Matthew Reilly (c) Matthew Reilly. And yes, he is a real person and Ice Station is a real book, since people have been asking me that a lot lately ^^;**

* * *

**October 7th, 18:44**

Today had been a weird and awkward day. And Naruto knew it was his fault. He knew that Ayuu had told Essyu about what he'd said, which explained why Essyu had come down with lunch, removed his mask, given him _Ice Station_ to read, and had spent the rest of the day upstairs.

Naruto had hailed him a few times on the walkie-talkie but Essyu had ignored him except when he'd asked for some more water, and to go to the bathroom. Otherwise, nothing. And that pissed him off.

Actually, it upset him.

No, it pissed him off.

Okay, it was a bit of both. He was upset because he didn't understand why Essyu was being such an ass about it, and angry because there was no reason to punish him for admitting that he liked him. So fucking what? How _old_ was Essyu, four?! Couldn't man up to his feelings?!

Naruto could wear pink! He was a proud person, he didn't care what people thought of him! He'd bet Essyu wouldn't ever wear pink! Stupid asshole!

Stupid pink-hating asshole!

Anger was definitely starting to take over, and more than once, he'd brought the walkie-talkie up to shout profanities at Essyu before deciding he didn't want to sink to his level. Still, it was hard. He was childish by nature, and right now, he wanted to be childish. To throw a tantrum and scream that Essyu was a dickhead for being so immature about it.

Just when he was really about to lose his shit, the door at the top opened and he whipped his head in its direction, watching the other's feet descend before he turned the corner at the bottom, his mask on and a plate of KD in his hands.

"You're a dick!" Naruto blurted out before he could stop himself, pointing one finger at Essyu. "You, Essyu, are a dick!"

"Why's that?" Essyu demanded, almost sounding exasperated.

"Because you're being childish! I say I like you, and yes, it's preschool, but now you're hiding upstairs like a little girl about it! _Are_ you a little girl?! Do you wear pink?!"

"What?" Essyu asked slowly, clearly confused.

"Do you wear pink?"

"No."

"Knew it! You're such a pussy!" Naruto wanted to throw that tantrum now. "I fell for a pussy! How fucking stupid of me! I'm so pissed off, what was I even thinking?!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Essyu snapped, closing the distance between them and practically throwing his plate at him. Naruto caught it, but a lot of noodles landed on his lap. He glared up at Essyu.

"You avoided me all day!"

"Of course I did!"

"Because I like you!"

"Yes!"

"Why?!" Naruto demanded. "That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard!"

"Because if I don't, I'll want to keep you!" Essyu shouted, practically in his face.

The blond sputtered, words having started to exit his mouth before he realized they didn't really work in response to what Essyu had just said. He was pretty sure the other had just won their argument hands down.

Naruto hated that.

"That's not..." he trailed off, sputtering some more, and trying to find the right words. "What happened to your whole 'live in the now' thing? Where we both know we won't be able to do this again so we're supposed to take advantage of it?"

"It's not that simple anymore, and you know it. Things changed."

"So what?" Naruto demanded. "Are you going to stand there and tell me that just because after this is over, we'll never see each other again, we shouldn't make the most of it? Because that's unfair, and you know it. And for starters, it's your own fault for having taken me in the first place!"

"What?" Essyu demanded, clearly confused again.

And Naruto was now angry again. "If we'd fucking met under other circumstances, we wouldn't even be in this fucking mess! If your stupid brother hadn't been so money-hungry, we could've met randomly and this would've turned out differently! If your fucking _stupid_ brother wasn't so paranoid, maybe he could understand that I'm not going to tell anyone who you fucking are because it would mean losing you when I'd much rather be able to keep you!"

"Until what?!" Essyu exploded. "Until we fought?! Until we broke up?! Then what?! You'd turn on me in a second!"

"Do you really think I'm that kind of person?!" Naruto shouted back. "That the second something bad happened I'd just fucking turn on you because I was pissed off?! Do you have any idea what I could've done to ruin Kiba's life over the years?! And I haven't! Why? Because he's my best fucking friend, and I wouldn't do that to him, and I don't love him nearly half as much as I do you!"

That seemed to stall Essyu for a few seconds, which Naruto was pleased about, but then the other just started yelling at him about how it wasn't fair because Essyu would never truly know, and were the situations reversed, Naruto would understand more.

And then Naruto yelled back that he already trusted Essyu with his life, so how would that have been any different?

And the more they yelled, the closer they got, and the closer they got, the more heated things became until suddenly, Naruto was lying on his back with Essyu on top of him, the two of them making out so fiercely that the blond tasted blood in his mouth.

He didn't know if it belonged to him, or to Essyu, and he didn't care. Somehow, it always ended up like this. Even when they were arguing about what they were going to do, they still couldn't stop themselves from wanting more.

* * *

**October 8th, 10:13**

Sasuke let out a groan, his head turning slightly to the side and his face feeling scratchy and uncomfortable. He reached up to rub at his eyes, and felt material, which just confused him until he realized he'd fallen asleep with his mask on.

It wasn't until he'd straightened it out and could see out the eyeholes that realization set in and he froze, panic washing over him. He'd fallen asleep beside Naruto after the previous night and, yes, they had fucked. But that wasn't what concerned him.

He'd been asleep. Beside Naruto. Who wasn't wearing his blindfold. Beside Naruto, who'd had free hands, and could have pulled off his mask while he slept and seen his face. Fuck, this was bad. Itachi was going to kill him.

"You can relax."

The raven let out a shout akin to that of a cat getting run over, which jerked Naruto awake in alarm.

"What? What?!"

Sasuke turned to look at his brother, who was seated in his usual chair, smoking a cigarette with the video camera set up right beside him. Sasuke's eyes shifted to it and he saw the light was red, suggesting it was still recording.

"Morning Ayuu," the Uchiha said slowly, eying the camera, still concerned and confused.

He realized Naruto had gone still behind him, but didn't dwell on why for the moment. He just needed to know how screwed he was.

"I knew you'd forget," Itachi informed him, flicking ashes off the end of his cigarette. Sasuke scowled when they landed on _Ice Station_'s cover. "I came down once the fucking was over. You're both very loud, by the way, don't ever try this in a public setting."

He'd come down after? Sasuke hadn't heard him. Not unusual, considering his brother was quiet. He knew Naruto had passed out right after they'd finished, and Sasuke hadn't lasted much longer. One minute, maybe two.

"Once you were done fornicating, I came down with the camera to ensure Naruto was going to behave. I checked it a few minutes ago. You both slept." Oh, Itachi was definitely annoyed. Even if Sasuke could only see his eyes, he could tell he was going to get it later.

He expected Naruto to pipe up about how he wouldn't have removed the mask, or about how he hadn't even thought of it, or something, but the blond had remained unnaturally still behind him, and Sasuke turned to look at him, a little confused. He saw Naruto staring at Itachi, all the colour drained from his face, and his hands clutching the sheets against his waist.

Slowly, realization dawned on him. _Shit!_ Naruto was still naked!

Lurching to his feet, and being sure not to disturb the blankets on the blond's side, he grabbed the other's pants and threw them at him. "Get dressed," he ordered, trying to snap the other out of it and turning his attention to Itachi.

He was hoping he could get him back upstairs relatively quickly so the other could get himself clothed, but it seemed he didn't have to. Itachi merely hit the record button on the camera to make it stop, and then stood, taking the camera and tripod with him.

Sasuke cast one last look at Naruto to make sure he was okay, then hurried after his brother, picking up his own sweats on the way to the stairs and pulling them on quickly, following the other up to the kitchen.

Once the door closed behind him, Itachi let out a slow breath and removed his mask, turning to Sasuke, and looking very angry.

"That was stupid, I know," Sasuke blurted out. He was honestly scared he was going to get whipped again. One-hundred and five. No way would he survive that. "It was stupid, and reckless, and I'll never do it again and I'll go and super glue the mask to his face."

Itachi eyed him for a few seconds, but appeared satisfied with his panic. To a normal person, it would seem as if Sasuke were merely speaking quickly, but for an Uchiha, he was as close to panicked as they could get.

"Get his mask back on and feed him. I'm gonna go edit the video."

"Wait, what?" Sasuke asked, wondering what, exactly, the other had recorded while they slept.

"There are good shots in here," Itachi informed him, turning to almost smirk. "I'll probably make it a bunch of still shots, but it's clear you've had sex. And a few images will look like he really didn't like it."

Sasuke felt his chest constrict, but he knew that wasn't true. Naruto had been asleep, he'd probably rolled away from him, gotten cold and curled up into a ball, things like that. When Sasuke had woken up, the other had been curled up against him after all, so there was no way he'd felt forced.

Still, even after Itachi had left, Sasuke couldn't help the gnawing feeling in his stomach, and he turned and wrenched the basement door open, hurrying back downstairs. When he turned, he saw Naruto pulling his shirt back on.

"Aw, I was expecting food," the blond teased, clearly back to normal now that his pants were back in place and Ayuu was gone.

"Do you regret it?" The words left Sasuke's mouth before he could stop them, and he scowled once they had.

"No," Naruto replied easily, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you?"

"No."

"Good. Now go get me food."

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk forming on his face, and he snorted before heading for the stairs again, then remembered something. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

"Fuck Britannia."

* * *

**October 8th, 16:00**

Tsunade frowned at the knock that sounded on her bedroom door, wondering who it could possibly be. Minato didn't usually knock, he just called her name down the corridor. She never really had the television on very loudly, and quite frankly, she'd had no reason to turn it on, of late, so she was confused.

Walking over to it, she pulled it open, and saw Kiba staring at her, his eyes wide, and his blond hair dishevelled. She almost thought it was Naruto for a second before remembering the brunet had dyed his hair again to pretend to be the Namikaze heir.

"I didn't do it!" Kiba blurted out, forcing Tsunade back to the present.

"Didn't do what?"

"I just found him like that! I don't know what happened!"

Tsunade hurried from her room, pushing past Kiba almost roughly. Today was not a good day for Minato to lose his head. He had a drop to make tonight, he couldn't break down now, they needed him!

Hurrying into his study, she couldn't even see him until she heard the sobbing and turned to find the older man curled up behind the door. She looked up at Kiba when he entered the room behind her.

"What happened?" she demanded, bending down beside Minato.

"I swear, I don't know! I was in Naruto's room, being all sick and dying for his coworkers, and then you escorted them out, and he just stood there and stared at me for a little bit while I started getting my shit together to go home, and all of a sudden, he turns and comes downstairs. I figured he was getting ready for tonight, and just got myself organized, and when I came down to say bye, I found him like this."

Tsunade didn't know what to do. She felt like he'd officially snapped. She had no idea how to fix this, and aside from bringing him to his room, she didn't know what else to do.

"Help me," she ordered Kiba, who hastened to her side and grabbed at Minato. The two of them hauled him to his feet, the blond man insisting they leave him there to rot for being a horrid father.

The two of them tried to reassure him the whole way to his room, Tsunade calling out to Shizune when she saw her walking along one of the corridors. The other maid hurried to open the blond's door, Kiba and Tsunade getting him into the room.

They dropped him on his bed, Tsunade tucking him in before they left, shutting the door behind themselves. Then they returned to the study in silence, where Kiba grabbed his backpack, clearly ready to leave. Tsunade saw something on the desk and walked over to it. It was a letter for Naruto, hand-written this time, the ink smeared with tears.

She picked it up and let out a slow breath, then reached down and grabbed the two bags from under the table. She knew Minato had been planning on giving eight times the requested amount, and could only assume it was in the two bags.

"Kiba, put your bag down and call your mother, you're staying here tonight."

"Um, why?" the other asked slowly.

"Because I need you to make the drop."

"What?" the other asked, his voice almost hysterical. "Are you insane?! I can't be Minato, there's no way! I'm too short! I look nothing like him! You're crazy!"

"Minato's in no shape to go anywhere, and there's a drop tonight at midnight!" Tsunade snapped, turning to the computer and clicking on Windows Media Player so the disc would start. She needed to know the location, she knew it was tonight at midnight, just not where. "I'll go with you, and we can announce ourselves if you really want, but I can't go there by myself or they'll think something's wrong. Seeing your hair will make them linger long enough to listen that Minato's broken down and we're doing the drop for him."

"Tsunade, I can't. I can't do that." Kiba shook his head, beginning to back up. "I'm close behind Minato and I really don't want to be. I can't do this."

"Naruto will die."

Those words made him freeze, and Tsunade felt like shit for having to use them, but they were true. "Naruto is going to die, Kiba. If we don't do this, he will die. This money cannot be late. We have to drop it off, or he's dead."

Kiba stared at her for a few long minutes before angrily slamming his bag against the floor and letting out a slow breath. "You people are paying for my therapy."

* * *

**October 8th, 23:57**

Something was wrong. Itachi knew something was wrong. Usually, Minato was hours early to ensure he was at the right spot at the right time, but today... something was wrong. He wasn't there. But he was _always _there!

Maybe he'd decided to stop paying? Maybe they were going too far? Maybe Minato felt that, at this point, death was a much kinder fate to Naruto than what he and Sasuke had been doing for the videos?

Well that would fucking suck! Especially considering Naruto _liked_ Sasuke! This was just unfair! And now he was pissed off, and he _wanted_ to kill Naruto, as punishment.

Just when he was about to storm away in a very un-Uchiha-like manner, he saw a shock of blond hair and paused, frowning slightly. It was the right colour, but he felt the person was too... short. And there was someone else with them.

Lowering himself more in the alley he was hiding in, he watched the two stop in front of the bus stop, just where he'd ordered Minato to drop the money, and saw a bag getting shoved into the trash, just as instructed. He then saw another bag, and frowned suspiciously.

"This is the right place, right?" A teenager's voice. Itachi didn't recognize it.

"It should be. It better be." This voice belonged to a woman. "The drop time said midnight, so," movement, indicating she was looking at the time, "we're on time."

"Should we be telling them? About why it's not who they're expecting?" The teenager again.

"I don't even think they're here, but it won't hurt."

"How loud should I be?"

"Not too loud, we don't want to attract attention."

The blond teenager stepped forward, clearing his throat, and spoke in a voice only slightly louder than the two had been conversing in. "Um, dear people... The guy... whose name I don't wanna say aloud just in case... he had a mental breakdown. Like, a huge one. To the point where he's kind of delusional right now and thinks I'm his son. So... he couldn't come. But uh, everything you asked for is where you wanted it and... we're gonna go... so yeah."

Minato had had a breakdown? Best news Itachi had heard all year. It was almost worth the panic he'd felt at the sight of the other two unfamiliar people.

He watched them walk away, hearing a car door slam a few seconds later, then saw it drive past him. He ducked behind a garbage can to ensure he remained hidden, then waited ten minutes before emerging and moving to the bin beside the bus stop.

Pulling the two bags out, he noticed the disc was still there and let out an annoyed grunt, grabbing it as well before turning and hurrying to his car. He tossed everything into the passenger's seat and drove to Naruto's school. Normally, he'd go home, but he didn't know if these two might have tried to add a little present for him, like a tracker.

Once he was parked near a light, he opened the two bags and rummaged through them for a few seconds, looking for trackers and ignoring the money and letters. Once he was sure they were empty, he began to count the money, tossing the letters onto the floor.

He didn't count bill by bill, like he normally did, because it was clear he had the right amount. Well, more than the right amount, but the only reason he used to count was to ensure there was the one-hundred thousand.

Counting out the bricks of money, he finally reached the end at eight-hundred thousand dollars. That was actually really useful. They'd already gone past their quota, and it didn't look like Minato was going to stop.

Smirking, more than pleased with this, and the news of Minato's breakdown, he was about to start the car when one of the letters caught his attention. The outside of the envelope read, "Kidnapper, please read!"

While he knew the others knew that he read all the letters—and hadn't given a single one to Naruto—he'd never been addressed outright like this. Reaching down, he pulled the envelope to himself and opened it, pulling out the letter inside.

It was hard to read, not only because of the bad light, but because of the tear streaks running along the page, but he managed to make it out.

For the first time since having kidnapped Naruto, he felt a little bit bad. For the first time, he put himself in Minato's shoes and imagined someone having taken Sasuke. While he wouldn't have broken down like the blond man, he knew that he wouldn't have been entirely indifferent, either.

But, he had a schedule. Even if a part of him wanted to return Naruto now, especially considering how close he and Sasuke were getting, he didn't want to deviate from the plan.

Naruto was going home on October twenty-second. End of story.

* * *

**October 9th, 05:47**

Minato didn't know what was forcing him to wake up. A part of him wanted to fight against it, to insist that his dreamworld was so much better. And it was, too. In his dream, he and Naruto were in Australia, riding Kangaroos. He knew that wasn't realistic, but it was a good dream because he was with Naruto, and his son loved him.

So why his brain was forcing him to wake up, he had no idea. But eventually, it won out, and he let out a small sigh, peeling open his eyes. He wondered how long he'd been out. He knew he'd broken down, but he felt a lot better now. Just... having seen Kiba, acting so at home in Naruto's room while gathering his things... For a second, he'd believed it was Naruto. That his son was back.

And then Kiba had turned around and the illusion had broken and he'd just... lost it.

Still, he felt bad for breaking down like he had. He knew he'd scared Kiba, and probably Tsunade. But he felt better now. He'd gotten it out of his system, and while he knew he wasn't going to return to his old self until Naruto was back, he felt a little bit closer to how he had been recently, which was an improvement over the mess of a man he'd been hours before.

_Speaking of which, I need to get up for the drop,_ he thought to himself with a grunt, sitting up. He wondered how long he'd been out, and glanced at the time.

For a second, he felt like the time was wrong, because how could it only have been an hour and forty-five minutes? He knew he'd slept longer than that. But then slowly, he realized his digital clock was set on military time.

And that it wasn't five in the evening.

It was five in the morning.

"No." The word fell from his lips so broken that it should have cut into his skin. "No! No, no, no!" He raced to the bedroom door and wrenched it open. "No! No, I didn't! I didn't miss it! No!"

He practically bowled one of his security guards over when the man came to inquire if he was all right. Minato ignored his concern and raced into his study, wiggling the mouse and double-clicking on the date.

It didn't change what he'd already known.

It was October ninth.

And the drop had been on the eighth.

"No!" he screamed, grabbing his computer. "No! Naruto, no!"

"Minato!"

"Tsunade, it's the ninth!" he screamed at her, slamming his fists on his desk and feeling his lungs beginning to close up. He'd missed it. He'd missed the drop. How could he have missed the drop?!

"Why didn't you do something?!" he demanded, feeling the need to smash things and at the same time unable to move. "Why didn't you wake me up?! No! Fucking hell, no! No!"

He didn't even realize that Tsunade had been speaking. Or that she'd been shaking his shoulders. He didn't register anything until someone punched him across the face and he crashed into his computer.

"He can't get mad at me for that one," Kiba's voice said, Minato's eyes slowly rising to look at the teen.

He was shaking out his hand, and his hair was brown again, but his expression, for some reason, calmed Minato down. He wasn't panicking.

And when he looked at Tsunade, he saw concern. But not for Naruto, for him. Surely they'd known why he was panicking, and surely they should have been panicking, as well.

"I was trying to tell you," Tsunade said, moving around the desk and crouching beside Minato on the floor. "We made the drop."

"You... you made it?" His eyes flickered back and forth between her and Kiba.

"Yeah," the teen replied, still shaking out his hand and wincing. "We made the drop, and waited two hours. We went back to make sure the money was gone. The trash was still there, so it wasn't the garbage man. They got it."

Minato relaxed instantly, feeling all the tension drain from his body. He wanted to dissolve into tears again, but he knew that would be a bad idea. After what had just happened, he couldn't let himself fall apart again. Naruto could've died today because of him.

"Did you get the disc?"

"Disc?"

The blond started panicking again, looking between the two of them. "The disc! The one with the next drop!"

Kiba paled, and the expression on Tsunade's face informed him that they hadn't.

Lurching to his feet, he bolted for the front door and wrenched it open, but he just stopped on the front porch. The city always had the trash picked up at night. By the time he reached the trash can, it would be empty. The disc would be gone.

"We told them what happened," Kiba said, coming up behind him. "Maybe they figured? Maybe... they'll drop it off?" He didn't sound hopeful.

But Minato couldn't help turning quickly and wrenching open the mailbox. Reaching in blindly, he felt around and his hand closed around something. He pulled it out and sank to his knees, struggling to breathe while clutching the disc to his chest.

His hands were shaking, and he couldn't believe the kidnapper had actually gone out of his way to deliver it after having noticed it was still there—well, he doubted it had been the kidnapper himself, but still.

Minato could only assume the extra money he'd been supplying had made the other grow a heart.

"Is it the disc?" Tsunade asked.

Minato pulled it from his chest with shaky hands, not even having checked, and having just assumed. But when he looked at the cover, he knew it was the disc from the kidnappers. There was a message in bold letters on the front.

_I hear you lost your head. Don't be absent from a drop again, or he dies._

* * *

**October 10th, 10:12**

Naruto let out a grunt when his olfactory system was invaded by the sweet scent of food. He wanted to ignore it, but no matter which way his head turned, he could still smell it. And despite how hard he tried to ignore the rumble of his stomach, it was too late.

Letting out a whiny moan when he was forced back into consciousness, he reached up to rub at his eyes and rolled onto his back. Then he frowned and reached up again, touching his face. The mask was gone.

His eyes snapped open and for one, horrifying moment, he thought he'd been returned home without being allowed to say goodbye to Essyu, but then he saw the bowl dangling above his head, and turned to see Essyu sitting beside his bed, mask on, but a clear smirk on his face.

"I was wondering how much longer it would be before you'd wake up."

"Ramen for breakfast?" Naruto asked with a yawn, sitting up and scooting back against the wall. "What did I do to deserve such generosity?" he asked with a grin, taking the bowl and inhaling deeply.

"Happy birthday."

"Really?" The blond beamed. "Awesome! I get cake, right?"

Essyu snorted. "Yes, you'll get cake."

"Homemade?" the blond asked suspiciously.

Another snort. "Homemade," Essyu confirmed.

"Yay!" Naruto thrust his free hand in the air, and then started eating quickly, the noodles having cooled considerably, probably because the other had been using it to try and wake him up. "Thanks, Essyu!"

"You're welcome. We're also doing the video today, just so you know, for the next drop. Ayuu decided it would be good for your dad to see you're having a decent birthday."

"I just woke up, and so far, it's awesome." He grinned. "My mask is off, I got some ramen, I get cake later, and I'm hoping for a present." He waggled his eyebrows at Essyu, who snorted, but the blond saw the predatory glint in his eye.

Oh, he was going to be getting fucked no matter what sometime today. It was pretty much the only present he expected he'd be able to get, considering he was kidnapped, but he was cool with that. It was pretty much all he wanted, anyway. Closeness.

"I got you an actual present, though." Essyu reached behind himself and held out a small wrapped package. "I picked it up yesterday when Ayuu got home after work."

"You didn't have to, you know," Naruto insisted, but grinned and took it anyway. He balanced the bowl on his knee, glad it wasn't too hot, and pulled the newspaper wrappings off to reveal a book. He didn't even have to glance at the name to know what it was. "_Ice Station_!" He exclaimed, hugging it to himself.

"I figured I could help you get started on your Matthew Reilly collection," the other replied with a smirk. "Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

"Fuck Britannia!" Naruto thrust his hands in the air and then let out a shout when his bowl tipped over. "No! My ramen!"

Essyu laughed at his dramatics, but reassured him that he'd make more, but he'd need to wash the blankets, now. Naruto insisted he didn't mind, because the smell of ramen was delicious, but then the other made a good point of it possibly attracting bugs. Naruto didn't want anything crawling into his ears and laying eggs in his brain while he slept, so he agreed to hand over the blanket, and got comfortable sitting on the edge of the futon, beginning to read the book excitedly.

So far, best birthday ever.

_Ever. _

* * *

**October 10th, 13:43**

Tsunade stared down sadly at the cake sitting on the counter in the kitchen. She'd ordered it from Naruto's favourite bakery over two months ago, just to make sure he would be getting it, and now it all seemed like such a waste.

She couldn't help but feel like the cake was a horrid reminder that Naruto wasn't there to celebrate his birthday. That he was somewhere else, probably getting raped and tortured and...

The woman suddenly wanted to smash her fists into the cake. She'd always been a fairly violent person, but she'd managed to control herself for the most part. Right now, though, she just wanted to tear the cake apart and send chunks of it flying across the room.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that there was a birthday cake sitting on the counter in front of her and the person it was for would never get to eat it. It wasn't fair that Naruto wasn't here for his birthday. It wasn't fair that Kiba hadn't been able to make the huge plans he'd wanted to for the blond's birthday to pay him back for what Naruto had done on his birthday back in July.

It just... wasn't fair. And she hated this. She hated everything about this.

She heard shuffling in the corridor behind her, and wished she'd been able to think of a place off the top of her head to hide the cake, but she hadn't, so when Minato walked into the kitchen, it was still sitting there, on the counter, with Tsunade in front of it.

The man seemed to freeze when he saw it, almost as if not understanding why it was there while simultaneously knowing. Slowly, he turned to look at the calendar tacked to the wall beside the fridge, eyes resting on the date. Then, he rubbed his face with both hands, forcing a breath from his lungs.

"It's his birthday."

"Yes," Tsunade replied. It was all she could say.

"I doubt he'd notice that I'm absent," Minato whispered, moving up to the cake and staring down at it. "I'm never really around to begin with. Won't be much of a change or difference this time."

Tsunade didn't know how to answer that, so she just patted his shoulder and moved towards the cabinet. She pulled out two plates, then went to the drawer to grab a knife and two forks. Then, she returned to the cake, and set everything down, holding the knife out to Minato. He just stared at it for a long while before finally taking it.

"Even if he's not here to celebrate it with us, it's still his birthday," the woman insisted, motioning the cake. "With any luck, he'll be back before it has the chance to go stale."

"He's not coming back, Tsunade," Minato whispered, his hand shaking while holding the knife. She saw his fist clench against it. "He's never coming back."

"Minato Namikaze!" Tsunade smacked him across the back of the head, making him jump. "Your son hasn't given up, so don't you start wallowing in self-pity! Unless you want to sleep through another drop and get him killed, you will never think something like that ever again! You used to be optimistic!"

"Yeah, and look where that got me!" Minato snapped. "Thinking it would never happen to _my_ son! And then it did!"

Tsunade sighed. "Minato, nothing and no one could have predicted or stopped this, but losing hope now is not going to do Naruto any favours. I understand where you're coming from, believe me, I know how you feel, but if you give up on Naruto now, then you're right, he'll never come home."

She smiled sadly at him and took the knife from his hand, cutting into the cake on her side and using her fingers to pick the piece up and dropping it onto a plate. She handed it over to Minato with her clean hand, since the other had frosting on it, and then cut herself a piece.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," she said with a smile, and took a bite of the cake.

* * *

**October 10th, 17:22**

Sasuke knew Itachi was pissed off, but thankfully, he had the decency not to say anything. He figured it was because Itachi didn't want to have to deal with Naruto's defiance tonight, so just letting Sasuke do what he wanted was best. And he was right.

Descending the stairs with the chocolate cake he'd spent a better part of the afternoon baking from scratch, he tried to ignore the way Itachi was growling under his breath behind him, camera in hand.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard Naruto give out a happy shout, and a smirk forced itself onto his face. Hearing a beep behind him, he knew that meant that Itachi was now recording, and moved across the basement to Naruto, bending down in front of him with the cake, which had seventeen candles on it.

"Hm, I get to make a wish now." Naruto squinted at the candles for a few seconds, then grinned and blew them out.

Itachi motioned for him to keep going, silently telling him to talk about his day, and Sasuke smirked again, backing out of view and setting the cake down on his usual chair so he could cut a piece off for Naruto to eat. He'd have to rush back upstairs for a plate and fork, though.

"Hi," Naruto said simply, waving into the camera. "Happy birthday me! I've had a pretty awesome birthday! I woke up and had ramen for breakfast, then I had amazing chicken fried rice for lunch, and then more ramen for dinner, and now I even get some cake!" He was beaming so brightly that Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Oh! And I also got a present!" Naruto shuffled through his newly laundered blankets and held up _Ice Station_. "Tada! It's called _Ice Station_ and it's by this guy named Matthew Reilly. You guys have no idea how amazing it is! Seriously, Essyu's been reading his books to me, and they're the most amazing things on the planet. I wanna go stalk this guy." Naruto hugged the book to his chest, Sasuke heading for the stairs so he could grab a plate for the cake.

"But, yeah... Just so you guys know, especially Tsunade and Kiba, I've not had a completely horrendous birthday. It was actually kind of nice."

Sasuke paused at the bottom of the stairs, watching Naruto. The other was smiling sadly, looking down at his blankets. He snorted after a few seconds.

"Much better than my birthday last year." He winced. "Where I got to sit on a beach by myself pretending to be having fun." He shrugged one shoulder. "But whatever. Either way, it was a great birthday so, I hope you guys are doing well!" He beamed at the camera, and Sasuke heard Itachi stop the recording.

"Can I eat my cake now?" the blond demanded, grinning at Sasuke.

Letting out a snort, he started climbing the stairs. "I'm grabbing you a plate, moron, be patient."

"I am patient! I waited all day for my cake! Gimme it!"

Shaking his head, he continued up the stairs to the kitchen, leaving the door open behind him since he could hear Itachi climbing the steps in his wake. When he entered the kitchen, he grabbed two plates out of the cupboard, turning to glance at his brother.

"No threats today?"

"If his father sees he's had a good birthday, he might feel inclined to reward us."

_Of course,_ Sasuke thought with a snort. Itachi would've had to have an ulterior motive for him not to harrass the blond like he usually did. Though he supposed whatever his motives, at least Naruto had honestly had a good birthday.

Grabbing two forks, he eased past his brother and shut the basement door behind himself, moving down the stairs and turning the corner at the bottom. Naruto was bouncing excitedly on the futon and Sasuke couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up his throat.

"What? I want some cake! You left it sitting there, teasing me!" Naruto motioned it. "I mean, come on! I can't believe how cruel you are!"

"Cruel?" Sasuke smirked. "I could show you real cruelty, if you like."

"No," the blond whined, waving one hand towards the cake. "Please? Come on, I've waited all day!"

Sasuke just chuckled again and moved to the cake, using the knife he'd brought down earlier to ease a slice onto one of the plates. He set that one on the floor, then eased another onto the second plate, placing a fork beside the cake and handing it to Naruto.

When he grabbed his own and stood, the blond was motioning for him to join him on the futon, so Sasuke sat down beside him, and leaned back against the wall. He felt a slight twinge at the action, but it had become more tolerable of late, so he stayed where he was, lifted his mask slightly so his mouth was uncovered, and took a bite of his piece of cake, even though he didn't have much of a sweet tooth.

He'd spent a better part of the day making it so he felt like he should eat at least one piece. He glanced at Naruto when the blond took his first bite and let out a moan.

"Dude. _Dude_," the blond insisted, taking another bite and letting out another moan.

"If you keep doing that, I'm not going to be responsible for my actions," he warned with a smirk, taking another bite and shifting the mask a little bit so he could breathe more easily.

"Well, I already asked for my birthday present to be you naked, you're the one who didn't deliver."

Sasuke snorted. "The night's still young. Besides, didn't you complain about how much your ass hurt the last time?"

"You used spit for lube," Naruto insisted, turning to give him an annoyed look. "Of course my ass hurt. It felt like sandpaper."

The raven almost spit cake out at that comment, but managed to keep it in his mouth, though he did almost choke, grabbing Naruto's water bottle and taking a large swallow so he could save himself.

Naruto, the fucker, just laughed at his plight, continuing to shovel cake into his mouth. He even took the opportunity to polish off half of Sasuke's, though the raven didn't mind. It was good, but he really didn't like sweets, so it was almost pointless for him to be eating it.

Once the cake was done, he grabbed the plates and piled them together, then placed the cake on top of them and headed upstairs to put it away. He hesitated on his way back down, then headed to his room to grab the lube he'd bought when he'd gone to get the blond's present the day before.

He didn't know for sure if they were really going to be doing anything, but he figured just in case, it was best to have it. It would just make things easier, though this time, he was going to put the blindfold back on Naruto. He didn't want to risk falling asleep again and having Naruto actually remove his ski mask this time.

Returning to the basement with the lube in his pocket, he sat down beside Naruto, who was grinning at him.

"Thanks, Essyu."

"For?"

"Making this an awesome birthday. I mean it, it was great. Thanks."

Sasuke just shrugged, but he did smirk under his mask. Letting out a sigh, he leaned back further against the wall. "So, what now?"

"I don't know, what's a kinky and non-desperate way to start fucking?"

The Uchiha laughed at that. He couldn't help it. And clearly, that had been Naruto's intent, because he started laughing, as well, before leaning over and tugging lightly on the bottom of the raven's mask.

"I'm serious. While Ayuu's editing, let's get to it before he decides to come back down."

"You're so bossy for a kidnap victim," Sasuke insisted with a smirk, turning to reach for the other's mask and holding it up.

He could see the blond deflate slightly, but he sighed and leaned forward, letting Sasuke secure it once more before pulling off his own mask, tossing it towards his chair.

"I brought lube this time, just in case."

"Lube, huh?" Naruto grinned at him, getting under the covers. "Someone was eager."

"Well, someone else complained his ass felt sandpapered," he teased, which earned him another laugh.

"I suppose." He could see the blond wiggling, and within seconds, his sweat pants were pulled up from under the covers and dropped beside him against the wall. "You gonna join me, then?"

"This is seriously what you want for your birthday?"

"No, I just thought getting naked while your brother's upstairs would be fun," the blond replied dryly. "What's wrong, you chicken?"

Sasuke just snorted and stood to remove his jeans, yanking his shirt up over his head once they'd hit his ankles, and retrieving the lube from the pocket before scooting under the covers beside Naruto.

The blond used his hands to determine how Sasuke was positioned, and then shifted on top of him, straddling his waist and leaning down to kiss him. He almost missed, but Sasuke shifted accordingly to ensure their lips locked.

Rocking up into the other, he wrapped one arm around the blond's waist and rolled them over so that he was lying on top of Naruto, pulling the covers up more and casting a glance towards the stairs. The last time they'd done this while Itachi was home, they'd been fighting beforehand and hadn't really been thinking about it.

Now, all he worried about was Itachi coming down the stairs. Which was valid, considering they'd just barely started heating up when the basement door opened. They froze.

"Essyu, come upstairs."

"Um, right now?" he asked, wincing slightly.

There was a pause, and then a snort before the door closed. Sasuke heard the back door shut a few seconds later, and realized Itachi had left the house.

"Did he just leave?" Naruto asked.

"I think so," Sasuke replied. "Means you can be as loud as you want."

"_You're_ the loud one, thank you," Naruto insisted with a grin, leaning up to kiss at Sasuke's lips again.

The Uchiha chuckled against them, reaching out for the lube and popping the cap open. Though they'd been planning on doing this while Itachi was home anyway, he figured Naruto would feel more comfortable with him gone, so he wanted to get this done as quickly as possible. Besides, neither of them were the slow-down-and-cherish-the-moment types. They were the hard and fast types.

Squeezing lube into his hand, he shifted Naruto slightly so he was positioned the way he wanted him. He noticed the other shifting awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with being so exposed, but Sasuke found a way to keep him distracted.

When the Uchiha began prepping him, Naruto grunted and arched his hips slightly, as if trying to get more comfortable.

"For fuck's sake, I'm not a pussy, God dammit!" Naruto bit out. "You fucked me almost dry once, don't act like I can't take it now!"

"We were caught up in the moment," Sasuke insisted with a smirk, continuing with what he was doing. "And I don't want you whining about your ass tomorrow, so it's better to just prep you decently tonight."

Naruto just groaned, arching his back, his hands fisting the sheets on either side of himself. The sight was hard to resist. Sasuke leaned down, licking up the blond's neck to his pulse, where he bit down and sucked.

After a few minutes of Naruto writhing beneath him, Sasuke was having a hard time resisting, and he eventually pulled away, slapped some lube on and positioned himself.

He'd been planning on trying to savour the moment, since he didn't know when it would be happening again before the blond's departure, but apparently Naruto wasn't in the mood to wait, because his legs wrapped themselves around Sasuke's waist and pulled him forward.

A loud groan left the blond's throat, his head falling back on the pillow, and the raven let out a sharp breath, snorting.

"You're a moron."

"And you love that," Naruto retorted, grinning.

Sasuke chose not to answer that. He just gripped the blond's hips and began moving, going for a hard and fast rhythm from the start, which Naruto seemed pleased with if the way he was scratching into his back was any indication.

Leaning his head down against the blond's shoulder, he breathed hard against the other's neck, his free hand reaching down between them. That earned him a grunt.

"In a hurry?"

"Ayuu'll come home eventually, I'd rather we be finished before then."

Apparently, Naruto agreed, because he began to arch up and push down in intervals. It didn't take long for Naruto to finish, and Sasuke was only a few seconds behind. He collapsed on top of the blond, breathing hard for a few seconds and kissing at the other's jaw.

"Best birthday ever," the blond murmured, clearly sated.

Sasuke snorted. "Moron. Come on, let's get you in the shower."


	15. The Stairs

**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns them all. Even Kiba. Despite how hard I try to steal him. And fail. Much to his amusement. Jerk. **

**Ice Station, Jack West Jr. and Britannia Line all (c) the amazing Matthew Reilly, who is still a real person. **

* * *

**October 11th, 08:17**

Minato sat at his desk, rubbing his hand over his mouth while staring at his screen, a plate of half-eaten cake on the desk beside him. He'd realized after his breakdown that consistently re-watching the videos was a bad idea, and because he knew that every drop was in three day intervals, he knew the next one wasn't until tonight.

He knew he had to get the location, but he didn't want to watch the video. At the same time, he knew he didn't have the strength to play it without his curiosity making him want to know. He'd have to know what happened this time. What they'd put his son through.

Letting out a slow breath, he decided he could manage without watching it, and started the video. He immediately skipped to the end, trying to estimate where the location would be, and actually guessing fairly accurately. He paused it on the location, and let out a slow sigh, raking his hand through his hair.

He already knew what his next letter would say. Mostly, apologies to Naruto about having missed his birthday, again. Even though it technically wasn't his fault, it still kind of was. Naruto had been taken because of him, because of something he'd done to these people.

Naruto had had to spend his birthday with these kidnappers instead of at home, with him, or his best friend, or Tsunade, and he hated himself for that. And he wanted Naruto to know that he felt guilty for it. That he understood if his son never forgave him when he got home. He really hoped he did, but at least if he didn't, he would understand.

Then he'd have an actual reason to work so much and never be home. Naruto would never want to see him, after all. But if magically, for some reason, his son decided to forgive him, then he was going to have to do some serious rethinking of his priorities. Namely that his son always came first, and work always came second. He was going to change a lot about his life once Naruto came home.

Sighing and rubbing his face, he stood so he could go get ready to head to the bank. He knew the kidnappers had said the amount would make no difference, but he could tell it did. Somehow, he felt like regardless of the man's words, the amount he was sending was affecting his desire to send Naruto home sooner than he'd planned.

Which was the only reason he was going to take out an unnaturally large amount of money this time. Not that the previous time hadn't been large, but he was tired of this. So ridiculously tired. He wanted Naruto back, and he was going to prove it by giving them as much money as he could take out without making the bank suspicious.

Sooner or later, they'd have enough, right? They would have what they wanted from him and he'd get what he wanted, too.

He would finally get Naruto back.

Please, God, just let him get Naruto back!

* * *

**October 11th, 11:44**

Sasuke didn't know why Itachi was home, but he really wished he wasn't, if only because for once in his life, the asshole was actually being loud. He knew it was because Itachi wanted him to come upstairs, but he wasn't ready to leave Naruto's side yet.

For one thing, the blond was really warm. For another, he was also naked. It was hard to want to pull away from a warm, naked Naruto. Then again, he still found it amazing the other had fallen asleep naked to begin with, considering Itachi was upstairs.

He could only assume the blond trusted he'd keep him safe. Which was true, because he would. Still, it was weird when he thought of how close they were, in pretty much every sense of the word.

Though now, Itachi's stomping was becoming annoying, so he shifted away from the blond, who let out a grunt, and sat up. Grabbing for his jeans, he stood and pulled them on, doing up his belt and turning back to Naruto when he heard him inhale deeply.

"What time is it?" the blond asked sleepily.

"Sometime in the afternoon, I think." Sasuke leaned over him and grabbed the blond's sweats, placing them into the other's hands. "Here, put these on before Ayuu decides to visit. I'll go get some food. Unless you need to take a leak first."

"I can wait," Naruto said, shifting the pants beneath the covers and wiggling, obviously pulling them on.

Sasuke turned and headed for the stairs, raking his hand through his hair and letting out a large yawn. He climbed them slowly and exited the basement, shutting the door behind himself and seeing Itachi standing by the sink, washing his cereal bowl.

"You could have called me upstairs," he snapped grumpily, knowing he was going to be in a bad mood all day because of how he'd been woken up.

"I'm going to be running errands today and getting things organized," he informed him, not bothering to comment on what he'd said. "Make sure you watch him. Not that that's a problem for you."

Sasuke scowled at him, but didn't say anything. He wanted to know what kind of errands, but at the same time, didn't really care. If he had the house to himself with the blond all day, that was all that mattered to him.

"How often will you be coming back?"

"Whenever I need to," was the other's reply. He finished drying his bowl and set it on the counter before turning to grab his keys and leaving the house.

Sasuke was glad to see him go. He liked spending time alone with Naruto, which was very obvious, by now. Though he still wondered about what to do about breakfast. He liked trying to make something different, but he'd pretty much run out of things.

He supposed cereal could work. He was actually feeling a little lazy, and since Itachi ate it in abundance, it meant he was stashing it _somewhere_. So, hunting down the cereal, he poured two bowls and added milk and spoons, then headed back downstairs.

The raven had to kick at Naruto a few times to make him wake up enough to grab his bowl, Sasuke taking a seat beside him.

"Can I piss after this? You waking me up more made me realize I had to go."

Sasuke snorted and leaned back against the wall, smirking, the twinge of pain almost bearable now. "Make it worth my while to send you, and we'll see how I feel."

"Hey!" Naruto insisted.

* * *

**October 11th, 13: 34**

"I thought you said you didn't want me to read any of the Matt Reilly books that didn't have Scarecrow in them," Essyu insisted, his voice teasing.

Naruto scowled at him, knowing the action was lost behind his mask, but he did it anyway, and crossed his arms. "Well I changed my mind! You made Jack West Jr. sound interesting, okay? So, read, slave."

He heard the other snort before getting to his feet.

"Where are you going?" the blond demanded, pretending to pout. "You're gonna leave me here?"

"No, I need to get the book."

"You didn't have it here already?" Naruto grinned. "I'm shocked and appalled."

Another snort, but he knew Essyu was smirking. Scarily enough, he knew him well enough that he could tell at least that much.

"I'll be right back."

"Fuck Britannia!" Naruto yelled randomly, which earned him a third snort. He grinned, finding he liked how often he made Essyu smirk.

Naruto tried to get more comfortable on the futon, grinning slightly while he waited. He was going to make fun of the other once he got back, mostly because his entertainment was limited which made it easy to be a jerk.

A few minutes passed, suggesting Essyu was probably having problems finding the book, and then finally the door at the top of the stairs opened. He turned to grin in its general direction. "I'm wondering how concerned I should be, with you forgetting things. You're not gonna forget _me_, are you?" he teased.

He heard Essyu snort. "Trust me, I don't think I could ev—"

Naruto frowned when Essyu cut himself off and he heard loud thumps before a crack met his ears. He waited a few seconds, confused.

"Essyu?" he asked uncertainly.

He received no reply.

A short laugh left his lips before he licked them. "Hey, come on, dude, don't tease the blind guy."

Nothing.

"Essyu, I'm not kidding. Essyu?"

He waited, praying for an answer. A groan, a grunt, a snort, anything. But only silence met his ears.

"Essyu?" He started tugging at his chains. "Essyu, I'm serious! Essyu!"

The blond tried to pull himself as far as possible, but he knew it wasn't enough.

"Shit! Essyu, come on, man!"

Naruto started tugging on the chains. He could feel the metal of the cuffs digging into his wrists, but he didn't care. He tugged harder.

"Shit, Ayuu! Ayuu!" he shouted loudly, not even sure if the other was home. "Ayuu! Fuck, Ayuu are you there? Ayuu!"

No response.

Naruto could feel his pulse quicken, his breathing coming in pants as panic slowly began to build in the pit of his stomach. What if Essyu was really hurt? What if he'd cracked his head open and was bleeding all over the floor?!

He knew without a doubt, now, that Essyu had fallen down the stairs. And considering the hard floor beneath the futon he was on, God only knew if he was going to be all right.

The blond continued to have images of his head cracked open, his neck twisted at an impossible angle, and various other horrifying thoughts.

"Shit!" Naruto turned so that he faced the wall and pushed his feet up against it, tugging on the chains with all his strength. "Come on! Come the fuck on!" he shouted, pushing as hard as he could.

The metal was digging even more painfully into his wrists, and he could feel something dampening his skin, but he ignored that, and the pain, and tugged harder.

"Fuck, come on!" he screamed, beginning to panic and staring to claw and tug at his cuffs. "Ayuu! Ayuu, please, fucking hell! Ayuu where the fuck are you?! Ayuu! Ay—"

Naruto froze, his heart seeming to halt in his chest when the doorbell rang. Once the shock wore off, his heart began to race, beating double time. He could scream. He could get the people to come down and help Essyu.

After all, he could joke that his friend and him were fucking around with bondage or something, but if Naruto's kidnapping was common knowledge, then whoever showed up would know Essyu was behind it, at least partly.

But what was the alternative? Stay quiet and risk Essyu bleeding to death?! But then what would happen if he was fine? Just a little bump on the head? What if the person who came down took off Naruto's mask? Ayuu would kill him!

Still! He couldn't let this come down to him or Essyu! The other needed help! Fuck, he could be _dying_! Naruto refused to entertain the possibility that he may already be dead.

"Fuck," he grit out, yanking on his chains some more. Just when he'd decided he was going to scream for help, he heard a door open and slam shut loudly. Angrily.

That could only be one person!

"Ayuu!" he shouted, tugging at the chains. "Ayuu, quick! Essyu fell down the stairs!"

He didn't know how seriously he would be taken. He didn't even know that Essyu was injured at all, but he definitely felt relieved when he heard the door at the top of the stairs open.

That relief evaporated quickly.

Ayuu's reaction wasn't very comforting.

* * *

**October 11th, 13:56**

It had taken Itachi longer than he'd anticipated to get the groceries, but Sasuke's list had been ridiculously long and detailed. He would have been annoyed if they hadn't had the money to afford it right now.

Life was so much easier now that he could go out and buy whatever they needed without having to keep track of their expenses. He could get used to living like this and, if everything went according to plan, this would soon _be_ how they lived.

When the Uchiha pulled into the driveway of their rental house, he almost flipped out when he saw a woman standing at his door and a man looking through the kitchen window, hands cupping around his face to get a better look inside.

Feeling panic rising—something very rare for him—he leapt out of the car and made sure not to snap at the couple. People tended to remember assholes, and he didn't want to be remembered.

"Can I help you?" he asked in the most polite tone he could muster.

"Oh, hello," the woman said, motioning her presumed husband back over. "We're sorry for spying, but we were walking by and heard someone screaming inside. We were concerned."

Itachi didn't miss the way she gripped her husband's arm tightly when he joined her, and the Uchiha forced a smile, which was harder than he'd anticipated. It had been so long since he'd last smiled that his muscles had almost forgotten how to perform the action.

"It was probably my brother. He's hard of hearing, so he usually has the television on really loud. He also tends to yell at it, it's one of his bad habits." He forced out a laugh, and was pleased when the couple relaxed. The man even chuckled along. "He probably couldn't hear the doorbell, but thank you for your concern. It's comforting to know considerate people like you live around here."

_Fucking __**nosy**__ people!_ he added silently.

"Oh, you're so welcome. I'm glad it was nothing."

Itachi waved goodbye when they headed on their way again, making a show of getting some groceries out of his trunk until they were decently far away.

Once he was sure they wouldn't hear him tearing a strip out of his brother, he stormed to the door and shoved it open, glad the couple hadn't tried the knob since he hadn't locked it upon his departure. He knew he'd be in and out all day, so it was easier this way.

Slamming the door angrily behind him and dropping everything on the kitchen table, he was just about to call out to his brother when another voice interrupted him.

"Ayuu!" Naruto was screaming up the stairs, and Itachi realized it must have been him the couple had heard. He was glad he'd gotten home when he did.

"Ayuu, quick! Essyu fell down the stairs!"

Itachi scowled at that, unsure of the other's claim since Uchihas weren't that clumsy. Pulling his gun out for good measure, he moved to the basement door and pulled it open.

When his eyes fell on the heap at the bottom of the stairs, he almost blurted out Sasuke's name before managing to freeze it in his throat and forcing out the other's code name instead.

"Essyu!" He bolted down the stairs, taking a knee beside his brother, afraid to even touch him.

One of Sasuke's arms was bent at an impossible angle, and there was a wound bleeding profusely on his forehead.

"Is he okay?" Naruto asked from across the basement.

Itachi ignored him. He had to get Sasuke help. He had to make sure he was all right or this... _all_ of this would have been for nothing!

"Ayuu, is he okay?!"

Itachi again ignored him, shifting Sasuke on the ground and lifting him in his arms, trying to make sure he didn't jostle the other's injured arm. He turned and hurried back up the stairs, hearing Naruto shouting after him, but he didn't answer.

Naruto wasn't important right now. Nothing was important except getting his brother help.

He slammed out the kitchen door, not bothering to lock it again. So what if someone found Naruto? If his brother died, he wouldn't care about fucking Naruto!

Laying Sasuke down in the back seat of the car, Itachi buckled him in as best he could and hurried to the driver's seat, peeling out of the driveway and racing towards the hospital.

His knuckles were white the entire drive due to the tightness of his grip on the steering wheel.

* * *

**October 11th, 16:59**

Naruto struggled to breathe in and out slowly, his hands buried in his hair, fingers curled inward and tugging every now and then at the strands. He could feel his heart give a few hard thumps in his chest before returning to normal, the blond forcing himself to remain calm.

His eyes were wide behind his blindfold, and he wished to God he could remove it. He wanted to see at least the remnants of what Ayuu had seen. He wanted to know if there was blood. If there was bits of bone. If the floor was cracked, if a stair board was broken, _something_!

This was worse. This was so much worse! Not knowing, only having Ayuu's reaction to go on. He didn't know how much time had passed. He didn't know how long it had been since the accident. All he knew was it had been too long. He was just fucking _sitting_ there! With no idea what had happened to Essyu!

Fuck, was he even okay? Was he going to be okay? What if he was in a coma? What if...

The blond forced himself not to think it. He didn't want to entertain the possibility that Essyu had broken his neck. It was too horrible a thought. It was something Naruto wasn't sure he could live with.

It was his fault, all his fucking fault! He'd asked Essyu to go and get the next book! If he hadn't, if he'd just sat there and spoken to him for a while, this wouldn't have happened. Essyu wouldn't have gone back upstairs, and wouldn't have fallen on his way back down.

"Fuck," Naruto whispered, tugging harder on his hair.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch at the walls and scream at the top of his lungs, but he couldn't. If he screamed, people would hear again. They would come. And if they came and let him go, he would never know if Essyu was okay or not. He needed to stay put.

But it was so hard! He wanted to escape, not so he could go home, but so he could go to the hospital and find Essyu. He knew how illogical that was, but he couldn't help it! He was so worried about him, and so desperate to know that he was all right.

Despite what he and Essyu always said, and what he tried to convince himself of, he was totally in love with the motherfucker. Which made this whole situation harder because not only could he not go to the hospital right now to see if he was all right, additionally, he knew that once he went home, he would never see him again.

The mere thought made his chest seize and he grit his teeth, struggling to ignore how hard the thoughts were to bear. For the moment, he couldn't think about them. For the moment, that wasn't something to concern himself with.

But still, he wished he had something to occupy his mind with. All he could do, all he could think about, was Essyu.

It was going to drive him insane. It already slowly was. He was trying, in vain, to think about anything but Essyu. He tried to think about the books he'd been read.

It just reminded him that Essyu had hurt himself because of the stupid books.

He tried to think about Kiba and school.

It just reminded him that he'd told Essyu all about his life.

He tried to think about food.

It just reminded him that Essyu always made him his meals, most of the time from scratch.

Everything his brain thought up, no matter what it was, somehow led back to Essyu, and he'd start worrying all over again. He felt like he was going to start hyperventilating any second now, and it took a lot of effort to calm himself down.

"Breathe," he ordered himself. "Just breathe."

This was going to be a very long day.

* * *

**October 11th, 20:56**

Kiba stared absently out the window, trying to ignore the hum of the engine while keeping his mind focussed on his plans for the evening. It was hard to try and reorganize his life to a point where he wasn't even sure what he was meant to be doing anymore.

It had been so long. So fucking long since Naruto had been taken. In three more days, it will have been one month. It was almost hard to imagine he'd survived this long without his best friend. Probably a little sad, considering it just proved he had no other friends, but he'd never really felt the need. Naruto was more than enough, and they were always together.

Sure, he had Shino and Kankurou on the side every now and then, and even Naruto had some childhood friends Kiba had only met once or twice, but they had both pretty much met and become friends at such a young age that they were almost twins. Inseparable.

Which was making this forced separation ridiculously hard. He was sure Naruto was feeling it, as well, though probably to a lesser extent since he was most likely focussing more on staying alive. But if the roles had been reversed, he was positive his friend would have been feeling the same as him.

"Sir?"

Kiba turned his head, and saw that Kakuzu had the back door open for him on the opposite side, the driver looking in at him, worried.

He hadn't even realized they'd stopped.

"Sorry," he said, sliding across the seat and exiting the car. "I won't be long, but you can turn off the engine. Save the planet and all that."

"Yes, sir."

Kakuzu shut the door once Kiba cleared it, and the brunet headed up the stairs, Tsunade opening the door seconds before he reached it. She offered him a smile and motioned him into the house. He stepped through the doorway and then turned when she shut the door.

"How are you doing?" the woman asked him.

The brunet shrugged in response. "Surviving. Yourself?"

"About the same." She offered him another smile. "Would you like some cake?"

"Cake?" Kiba frowned.

"Yesterday was Naruto's birthday. I'd already ordered him a cake, so it arrived because I never thought to cancel it."

Kiba had forgotten it had been his birthday. To be honest, he hadn't really been paying attention to the dates except to count how many days since the blond's disappearance. Now that he thought about it, though, yesterday had been the tenth. And yes, that was Naruto's birthday.

His stomach churned at the thought of eating cake that belonged to his best friend, who probably wouldn't be able to even have any, but he forced himself to accept the offer, and followed Tsunade into the kitchen.

She went about cutting him a slice and setting it on a plate for him. It took a lot longer than he'd anticipated for him to actually be able to take a bite, but he forced himself to and then struggled to swallow it down.

Tsunade apparently noticed, because there was a glass of milk in front of him before he'd even gotten the second bite into his mouth.

"How's the old man doing?" Kiba asked, forcing another bite into his stomach.

"All right. I think almost missing a drop really put things into perspective for him. He's all set for the one tonight."

"Good." Kiba pulled his letter from his pocket and handed it to her. "Can you give him this please? I meant to drop it off earlier, but I didn't get the chance."

Tsunade took it from him and then turned to head out of the kitchen, presumably to go and give Minato his letter. Kiba sat alone, staring down at the cake, and playing with it more than actually eating it. It tasted good, and that just annoyed him even more.

Because he wasn't meant to be the one sitting there eating a fucking piece of cake. Naruto was. Kiba was meant to be the one who showed up and stole a piece. He wasn't supposed to get offered one, that wasn't how things worked.

Letting out a sigh, he pushed the plate away and rubbed his face, then drank the milk since he didn't want it to go to waste and stood. Tsunade returned when he was in the process of dumping the cake out into the trash.

"Couldn't stomach it?" she asked sympathetically.

"Not at all." He snorted. "I shouldn't even have agreed to a piece."

"It's all right. Minato and I had a hard time eating our own pieces. The entire cake is going to go to waste if he doesn't come back soon."

"I really..." Kiba trailed off, then winced. "I really thought they'd have him back by his birthday."

"I think we all thought that, Kiba," she said, patting his shoulder, then wrapping her arm around them. "Come on, time to go home."

He let her lead him towards the front door, and he bid her goodnight before entering his car, scooting back over to the opposite side and looking out the window again. Kakuzu started the engine and within seconds, they were leaving the Namikaze's residence and turning back onto the street.

"It seems harder."

"Huh?" Kiba asked, turning to look at Kakuzu, who was watching him in the rear-view mirror.

"When you visit. Every time you leave, you look more upset than when you'd gone. Going to see him seems to make it harder. So why go?"

Kiba almost broke at those words. He almost just turned into the same sobbing mess as Minato had a few days ago and confessed everything to Kakuzu, but he managed to hold himself together and looked out the window again instead.

"Because that's what friends do," he whispered.

* * *

**October 12th, 00:45**

Minato had to admit, he was a little nervous about the drop he'd just done, mostly because while it was much safer than others, like the random garbage can drop or the bus stop drop, he didn't like the knowledge that anyone could happen upon the key that would gain them money.

The instructions had been very easy this time. He went to the bus terminal in town, put the money in a locker—well, in his case, two, since there was a lot more than they'd asked for—and had deposited the keys into the water tank part of the handicap bathroom near the south exit. He'd brought a Ziploc bag to put both keys in before dumping them into the tank, and while he knew the chances of someone looking there were slim, it still worried him that maybe the toilet wouldn't flush and someone would check to see why and find the keys.

Forcing himself to stop panicking about it, he sat down at his desk, the new disc in hand, and stared down at it. It had been waiting for him in the tank where he'd deposited the keys, sitting in a Ziploc bag to keep it dry. He'd been dreading having to watch it ever since he'd left the station, unable to even imagine what horror awaited him once he popped the disc in, but that had been before he'd actually looked at it. Now, he wasn't sure. A part of him wanted to watch it, and another didn't. The only reason he felt compelled to put it in and start it was because Naruto's handwriting was on the disc. It was labelled "my seventeenth birthday." Almost as if his son intended to keep it once he got back.

Letting out a slow breath, he ejected the previous disc, which he still hadn't seen, and popped in the new one just as Tsunade appeared in his doorway. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and Minato watched her stare at his computer for a few seconds, as if she were debating something.

"Everything all right?" he asked her, knowing she would ignore the fact that she wasn't all right because Naruto was missing and would reply with what was currently bothering her.

"I feel like I need to see it. It was his birthday and I just... feel like I need to see how it went. I've always found out about every other birthday, but this one... I don't want to, but I do."

Minato sighed, looking at the screen and seeing the option to start playing the disc. He motioned her over, as if trying to decide for her, and she obeyed, moving behind his desk and standing beside him. The blond man let out a slow breath and hit play.

The usual "are you watching?" message didn't pop up. Instead it just started immediately on the back of someone's head, their face covered by a ski mask, as usual. Minato could just barely make out a cake before the camera shifted and made it much more noticeable, the figure bending down in front of Naruto, who squinted.

_"Hm, I get to make a wish now."_ His son grinned and then blew them out. He seemed pleased with having gotten all of them, then glanced up past the camera before looking into it, the figure with the cake having moved out of the frame.

He felt Tsunade's hand fall onto his shoulder, and Minato reached up to clutch it tightly. So far so good, he could only hope this would be a decent video. Maybe that one person—Minato had never been given a name, but the nice one—was in charge right now. He could only hope.

_"Hi,"_ Naruto said, waving into the camera. _"Happy birthday me! I've had a pretty awesome birthday!"_

Minato was surprised to find his son was actually being sincere. He wasn't being sarcastic. He'd actually had a good birthday?

_"I woke up and had ramen for breakfast, then I had amazing chicken fried rice for lunch, and then more ramen for dinner, and now I even get some cake!"_ He grinned again, and Minato heard a chuckle off-screen. He narrowed his eyes, wishing they could trace that one chuckle to a person, but he knew that was impossible.

_"Oh! And I also got a present!"_

"A present?" Tsunade asked, sounding as shocked as Minato felt. They both watched Naruto look through his blankets before he held up what appeared to be a book. Minato leaned forward and squinted, trying to read the title, but it was too hard to make out.

_"Tada! It's called __**Ice Station**__ and it's by this guy named Matthew Reilly. You guys have no idea how amazing it is! Seriously, Essyu's been reading them to me, and they're the most amazing things on the planet. I wanna go stalk this guy."_

Minato smiled when he saw his son hug the book, and tried to commit the name Essyu to memory. Clearly he was the nice one Naruto had been talking about a few videos back. He wondered if maybe he hadn't been around for the other more horrible videos. Considering how much his son seemed to like him, it could only mean he'd not been present to force him into some of the things that had happened.

_"But, yeah..."_ Naruto continued on the screen. _"Just so you guys know, especially Tsunade and Kiba, I've not had a completely horrendous birthday. It was actually kind of nice. Much better than my birthday last year."_

Minato winced at hearing that, feeling a tightness in his chest, and Tsunade squeezed his hand. He let out a slow breath. Things would be different when Naruto came home. He'd promised himself that. Naruto would never say anything like that ever again. Minato was going to make up for everything.

_"Where I got to sit on a beach by myself pretending to be having fun."_ Naruto had continued uninterrupted, unlike Minato's brain, which was going a mile a minute. _"But whatever. Either way, it was a great birthday so, I hope you guys are doing well!"_

Naruto beamed at the camera, and then the screen went black. Minato kept waiting for something to happen. Another screen to pop up with his son getting raped or something equally horrific, but all he got was another date and location and then the video restarted.

Tsunade let out a slow breath before chuckling. "I'm so happy. I'm glad his birthday wasn't horrible."

"Me too," Minato whispered, squeezing her hand more.

Still, it hurt to know his son had enjoyed this birthday far more than his previous one. He really was a shitty dad if kidnappers could make his son happier than _he_ could.

* * *

**October 12th, 02:17**

Testament to how much Itachi cared more for his brother than he did about anything else in the world, it took him getting kicked out of the hospital, and almost two hours in his car for him to actually remember it was a drop off night.

He knew he had to get back to the house, but he was procrastinating making his way back there. He'd even bullied the nurses into letting him stay a bit past visiting hours in hopes that Sasuke would wake up. When he didn't, and Itachi had gotten snarky, security had kicked him out, which was how he'd ended up cruising for two hours before remembering there was money to be had. So, he went to the bus terminal, and found the two keys sitting in a Ziploc bag right where he'd instructed them to be.

He'd chosen the lockers because he knew that was one of the only places in the entire terminal that didn't have cameras, so it was easy to get to them, open them, grab both bags, and hurry back to his car, avoiding any and all cameras, which didn't matter anyway since he had his hood up and his head down just in case.

Itachi knew there was probably ten times the amount he'd asked for present, but he didn't bother counting it this time. He just headed back to the rental house, almost at a crawl, and parked the car in the driveway. A car door slammed quietly, Itachi raking one hand through his slightly dishevelled hair and eyes rising to look at the rental house warily.

Just staring at it made him want to get back in his car and find a way to sneak back into his brother's room.

As Itachi had anticipated, Sasuke had a broken arm, and a concussion. He'd also gotten ten stitches in his head, though thankfully if it scarred, his brother's bangs would hide it.

Still, he was worried. People with concussions were meant to be awakened every few hours but so far, they hadn't been able to wake Sasuke. The doctor had been optimistic, though. He'd said it was a good thing he'd been brought in so quickly.

And that just made Itachi think of Naruto. If the other hadn't called up to him, how long would it have been before Itachi had gone to check on them? And if Naruto had been screaming... Considering how badly he'd wanted to know if Sasuke was okay, was it possible he'd been calling for help for _Sasuke_ and not for himself?

Scowling at the dark house, Itachi knew this was risky. If he went in there and Naruto had gotten help, he would be ambushed. But if not...

Figuring he'd never find out by standing in the driveway, he pulled his gun out, trusting the darkness to keep it hidden, and headed for the door. Inching it open silently, he eased into the house, and shut it again. He turned on the kitchen light, expecting the police, but the room was empty.

Moving slowly to the basement door, he opened it and heard Naruto shift instantly.

"Essyu?!"

"It's me."

He didn't know why he felt the need to announce himself, but he turned on the light and headed down the stairs anyway, tucking the gun into the back of his pants.

"Is Essyu okay? What happened? Is he badly hurt?"

Itachi turned to the futon once he reached the bottom and frowned slightly. Naruto had dried blood smeared along his forearms. Not much, but enough that he could tell the other had been struggling to free himself.

"Were you trying to escape?"

"What?" Naruto asked, apparently dumbfounded. "No! Look, is Essyu okay?"

"Your wrists are bleeding."

"Were. I tried to free myself when he fell down the stairs. As you can see, it didn't work. Is he okay, or not?"

"You probably gave up once you—"

"Is Essyu fucking okay?!" Naruto shouted, making Itachi cut himself off.

He watched the blond. The way his hands clenched, the way his teeth were grit, even the fact that the blood had clearly dried hours ago. Was he telling the truth? After all, he could have screamed at the top of his lungs while home alone, and he hadn't. And Itachi knew the blond had known he was home alone.

Had Naruto really been trying to free himself to help Sasuke? He _had_ screamed for Itachi the second he'd entered the house. Did Naruto... _Does he __**love**__ Sasuke?_

Itachi felt inclined to believe he did. That was the only reason he replied.

"He has a broken arm, and a concussion. They're keeping him overnight at the hospital."

"But he'll be okay, right?"

"He should be."

Naruto let out a relieved sigh, leaning his head back against the wall.

And Itachi knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Naruto loved Sasuke. _Only my brother would be stupid enough to make a hostage fall in love with him._

He resisted the urge to sigh and started for Naruto before pausing. "I'll get something for your wrists. And something to eat."

"Thanks," Naruto murmured.

Itachi headed back up the stairs, and pulled a frozen dinner out of the freezer. He popped it into the microwave and went for his First Aid kit. Grabbing it up, he returned to the kitchen to pour Naruto a glass of water, and waited for his food to finish.

Once it dinged, he grabbed a fork, and used the kit as a tray to bring the meal downstairs, setting it all down on the chair Sasuke usually occupied before nearing Naruto and uncuffing him.

"Go to the bathroom and rinse off your wrists," he said, leading Naruto to the door. "I'll clean your cuffs."

"I'm gonna take a leak, too. Just so you know," he informed him before disappearing into the bathroom.

Itachi headed back upstairs to grab a dish towel, soaking it under the tap. He knew he should've been more concerned since Naruto wasn't chained to the wall right now, but he felt a little numb. Not to mention the blond's ankles were still shackled together and he still had the mask on.

It didn't matter anyway. Naruto was still in the bathroom by the time he'd returned, and Itachi cleaned the inside of the cuffs. He stood and went to the door, hearing the water running for a few seconds before it stopped and the door opened.

"Did I get all of it?" he asked loudly, holding up his wrists.

"Yes."

Naruto jumped, obviously not having expected Itachi to be right beside him. The Uchiha led him back to the futon and sat him down, then moved the food and drink off the First Aid kit and pulled out some cream and gauze. He then decided it would be best to disinfect the wounds and pulled out the rubbing alcohol.

Moving over to Naruto, he used some cotton balls to clean off the wounds, then applied the cream and, finally, the gauze. When he put the cuffs back on, he made sure they didn't chafe against any injured skin, then went to wash his hands.

Returning, he handed Naruto his food and drink before packing away the unused items, picking up the rest to toss out.

"Thanks," Naruto said quietly.

Itachi realized the other had never said that to him until today. Once a few minutes ago, and once now. He realized it was probably because he'd never bothered to be nice to him.

"I'll be back."

"Okay. I'll be here."

Itachi couldn't tell if he sounded bitter or not, but then he saw the half-smile and realized the blond was joking. The Uchiha let out a snort and headed upstairs to put the kit away.

While leaving his room, his gaze fell on a stack of papers from work that were beside his futon. Staring at them reminded him of all the letters Naruto had gotten, and how he'd read them all and not bothered giving them to him. He felt compelled to give them to Naruto now, which annoyed him, because he didn't owe the blond any favours.

"Actually, you do," he muttered to himself before letting a scowl mar his features. He stalked across the room and bent down to pull the stack of letters out from under his futon, having hidden them since he knew Sasuke would have given them to Naruto if he'd seen them, and they kept getting mixed up with his paperwork.

He started back for the stairs, then remembered the money, and how there were probably three more letters. He turned to head outside, and pulled the bags out of the car, bringing them into the house and opening them both to find the letters. Once he had all three, he pulled a mask on and left the bags where they were since he'd count the money after, then headed back for the basement door.

He descended the stairs, turning to look at Naruto while doing so, and saw the blond licking the container his meal had come in. Itachi hadn't really considered he'd left him alone for almost thirteen hours.

"Are you still hungry?"

"A little," Naruto admitted sheepishly, obviously embarrassed at having been caught licking the container.

"I'll get you something else."

Pulling the keys out, he knelt down in front of Naruto, the other tensing, but he just reached behind him and unlocked the small lock at the back of the mask before removing it.

Naruto blinked a few times, eyes closed to slits before one hand rose to rub at them. Itachi wordlessly handed him the letters, setting the mask down and grabbing the container and the fork.

"What are these?" the blond asked, clearly confused.

"They're from your father, nanny and best friend," Itachi informed him, heading up the stairs to get the other more food. "Your father has been leaving them with each drop. They're dated."

"I don't... Why are you giving them to me?"

He paused at the top of the stairs. He could ignore him. He could just not answer. But after what the blond had done for him today, Itachi was finding it hard to be mean to him.

"Because, you have to earn things with me. And you earned those." He headed into the kitchen to grab the blond more food.


	16. Letters from Home

**A/N: The coding did something weird in this chapter... idk why... If it looks weird, it's because FF didn't convert it properly, it's meant to be completely in italics with a few words bolded here and there but when I put it into the Doc Manager, idk, it went weird... I'll try and fix it up if it posts up looking wrong.  
**

**Disclaimer: Did you guys know Masashi Kishimoto has his own personal army? 'Cause you do now. And outrunning them is _not_ easy, let me tell you! **

* * *

_Sept. 22._

_Hey dude. I figured I'd date it so that, I don't know, you'd like... know. Or whatever. Keep track of the days or something though I guess it won't make much of a difference for you since you'll get this later so... whatever. I don't know._

_I don't even know what I should be saying. I don't even know if you'll get this. I know one of the kidnapper men is reading this though, so read carefully fucktard! I swear, you hurt my best friend and I will fucking find you and end you. I swear to God, you'll pay for this!_

_But I'm not here to talk to you, so back to Naruto, since he's the one I care about, and you're nothing but worthless shit for using kidnapping as a means to earn money. Or gain, more like. Assholes_

_Anyway, yeah, I found out yesterday. Tsunade kept telling me you were really sick, super contagious, almost like the plague type of thing, but she looked so distressed that I swear I thought you were dying. I thought it fucking **was** the plague, dude. But then yesterday, your dad, fucker that he is, let me in and showed me the video. Not the best way to let someone know their best friend was kidnapped but, the guy's rusty on a few things._

_Tsunade's a wreck, but she's managing to hold herself together as best she can. Tough woman, that one. I felt bad breaking down on her, but she was good at making me keep myself together. And yeah, I broke down, because you're like... the only person I give a shit about in this world so... I hope you're behaving. Don't come back dead, or I'll find you in the afterlife._

_But yeah, I don't even know what to say here. I guess just... School's fine. Nothing new or exciting happening. I miss you, though. It's stupid how bad I miss you. I just... Please just don't die on me, okay? That mouth of yours can get you into trouble, I know this better than anyone, so please just try and keep it shut, okay? Just behave, and come back safe._

_I'll send you a letter every drop off. I don't know that you'll get them, but it'll make me feel better to think you did, and that you're at least able to pass time reading them._

_Don't die on me, Naruto. I'll kick your ass._

_Kiba._

* * *

_September 22nd._

_Hello, Naruto._

_I saw that Kiba dated his letter, and thought it was a good idea to do the same. Just in case you get these at the end of your stay. I don't know that you'll receive them at all, I suppose it'll depend on how generous your kidnappers are. I'm glad you're doing all right, though. I'm sure this hasn't been easy for you, especially after seeing your father's reaction to one of the videos, but I was able to sit through the previous one where you were just talking, and you seem to be doing all right, considering._

_That's my boy. Strong and independent. And just as bratty as always, I see. I'm glad this hasn't had a negative affect on you thus far. Again, I haven't seen all the videos, your father won't allow me to see the one where you were whipped. He said he didn't want to put me through it, but that you were very brave._

_You're a strong kid, brat. You'll get through this, good as new, I know you will. You don't let things get you down, and as much as I know you're probably worried about the morning ritual, you did so well. I was proud to hear what you'd done while there, and I'm glad you're not going to smell like a hobo when you get back._

_I just wanted you to know a few things that have been happening around here since you've been gone. Please don't think I'm defending him, because I know it's what you'll believe, but this situation has really hit your father hard. I think he's finally realized how absent he's been in your life, and when you get back (I say when because I know you, you'll come back to me) he's going to change. If he doesn't, I'll remind him of this, and I know he'll be different, but I don't think he'll need the reminder._

_He's taken leave from work. Shocking news, of course, but he couldn't handle working, not with how worried he's been about you. He took an indefinite amount of time off, and now spends most of his time either in your room or his study. His study is littered with photos of you, and he keeps re-watching the last video over and over. It's almost concerning, but I know he's just trying to reassure himself that you're still alive._

_He went through your photo album, too. He and I sat and spoke about each picture for hours. You should have seen him when we got to the Hawaii pictures. He was clearly ashamed of himself. I know you dislike him a great deal for ignoring you how he does, but he honestly just thought he was doing what you wanted. Providing you with everything you could ever ask for. I truly think he'll be different when you get back._

_Kiba also knows, as well. He didn't at first, your father is trying to keep this quiet, and I agree with him. If anyone finds out, the media will have a field day, the police will get involved and... Honestly, I don't trust the police. Considering your previous video, one of your kidnappers at least seems half-decent, which means I have faith you'll return alive, which means the police is useless. We don't need them. We follow instructions, we get you back, we don't need the police, and we certainly don't need the media._

_But I digress, sorry. Kiba found out yesterday, which was very hard on him. He was the one to write the first letter. I'm glad he thought of it, it makes me feel a little more at ease to be able to speak to you. He was very shaken up, but he's holding it together as best he can. Kakuzu expressed his concerns today, but I couldn't tell him anything since we don't want anyone else to know outside the mansion aside from Kiba._

_I was against him knowing, to be honest, but now that he does, I think he appreciates the truth. Still, it is definitely taking its toll on him, so make sure you come back to him. And to me._

_Please make sure you come back to me, and try to keep your mouth in check. Remember these people aren't me. I can take your lip, I've been taking it for almost seventeen years. Behave yourself, and come home safe._

_I love you, brat. Be safe._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Sept. 22._

_Hey kiddo._

_It's me. Your dad. The man I know you're unhappy with. Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm writing this at all, since I'm positive you'll throw it out the second you see my name signing the bottom. But I'll write it anyway._

_Because I love you. I love you so much, Naruto, and I know I've not been good at showing it. I know I've been a bad parent. That day, at breakfast, when I said your life would be hard without my money..._

_I know you think all I care about is money. I know that's how I make it seem._

_Naruto, I would happily give every cent I have to these people to get you back. I've even added in double what they asked for for this drop in hopes that it'll lessen your time with them. I just want you back, son._

_I want to prove to you that everything I did, I did for you. I just didn't really consider that maybe it wasn't what you wanted. I didn't think about how money may not have been what you needed. That you needed a dad, and to know that someone cared about you._

_I should have been better. You didn't deserve for me to never be there. You didn't deserve for anything that happened in your youth to happen. I am a horrible parent, and I know it._

_But I promise you, Naruto, I **promise**, once you get home, I will never let you out of my sight. I will be home every day for dinner. I will be there, completely there. Breakfast and dinner during the week, I will be there, and there will be no work talk. I'll make sure I go to every event you have. Weekends, I'll make time to spend a few hours with you, if you want to spend them with your old man._

_I will be the father you deserve, the father I was told you wanted._

_Kiba punched me in the face. I just thought of that while remembering what Tsunade said about what you wanted from me. Kiba punched me because I told him about your kidnapping so you would know from someone other than Tsunade that I really, truly care._

_It was selfish of me, but I'm glad Kiba knows. It didn't feel right hiding it from him. He cares about you a great deal. Enough to punch the richest man in the world in the face._

_I'm bad at this whole dad thing, Naruto. You'd know first hand. But I promise, if you give me the chance, when you get back, I will be the best dad in the world. Super dad. Whatever you want, I will do it for you. If you want me to sell my company, Naruto, I will do it._

_If you ask me to do that, I. Will. Do. It._

_You are worth more than all the money in the world. I just want you home, and safe._

_I love you, Naruto. No matter what you might think, I love you, and you are my son, and I will never forgive myself for this._

_I will never forgive myself for you having to be kidnapped in order for me to realize I'm a shitty parent._

_I am so, so sorry. I love you Naruto. Come home to me soon._

_Dad._

* * *

_Sept. 25._

_So... nothing really special happened. I don't even know why I'm bothering to keep you updated on my boring life. I realized you're pretty much my only friend, though Kank and Shino have been trying to drag me out of the house a lot lately. I think they're worried about me._

_I'd be worried about me, too, but considering what's happening, can't blame me, right? I mean, Jesus Christ, you're making me live a fucking movie here, dude. A **movie**! People aren't meant to get kidnapped in real life, or if they do, I'm not meant to know them. Seriously, this bites the big one. Not happy, dude._

_Not. Happy._

_I'm sure you're even less happy but... yeah. Fucking hell, asswipe, I can't believe you went and got yourself kidnapped! Next time you leave school, I'm gonna follow you home or something. That way I'll always know if something's wrong. "Hey, what's Naruto taking this route for? Kakuzu! Call the police!" type of thing. Hey man, it'd work, and you know it._

_But yeah... I don't have anything else to say other than I miss you, and keep your trap shut! Seriously! Fucking hell, I saw the last video and it's like... you're like asking to get your face kicked in. Stop being such a smartass, retard, it's not gonna get you out of there in one piece._

_Take care of yourself, and come home soon. Though I know it's not really your choice._

_Kiba._

_PS: Holy shit, dude, you're dad's lost it! I came over to drop off this note, and I'm fucking **you** right now, dude. He still doesn't want anyone to find out you're gone, and the whole you being sick story got the media interested and they're swarming your house! So what does your dad do? He dyes my hair blond._

_I have blond hair, dude. I look like a cheap imitation of you! And then momma showed up and all hell broke lose and like... your dad's insane, dude. Losing you has made him go off the deep-end. You better come home soon or by the time you do get back, he'll be rocking in a corner brushing a My Little Pony's hair singing "I'm so pretty, oh so pretty" to himself._

_Disturbing thought, that..._

* * *

_September 26th._

_Hey brat, how are you holding up? I hope you're doing all right. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch the last video because of your father and Kiba's reactions, but I know you're still alive, at the very least. And still making use of that smart mouth of yours._

_I'm actually mad at you. Furious, even. You're purposefully antagonizing your kidnappers. I want you to stop doing that, Naruto, it's going to get you killed, and you do not want to deal with me if you end up dead, trust me. I will find you and I will make you suffer._

_Also, if you come home dead, I'll make sure you're naked for your funeral and let all your fangirls touch you anywhere they please. There. Maybe that'll teach your mouth to stay shut when it ought to._

_I'm not trying to be a bitch, brat, I just want to know I'll be able to continue tormenting you when you get back, which I won't be able to do if... Not the point. Point is, you need to come home to me, or I'll be upset, and you don't want me upset. You know you don't. You've seen me upset._

_On another note, Kiba's been spending a lot of time here the past few days. Your father's enlisted his help in pretending to be you. We'll see how that works out, considering, as Kiba continuously puts it, he can't be you and himself at the same time. He's trying though. I don't think I ever appreciated how good of a friend he was to you until now. He's giving up virtually everything for you, and I care for him a great deal because of it._

_And your father... your father isn't doing so well. I actually think he's gone a little bit... not insane, but he's not quite himself, and I'm rather concerned. He called Kiba by your name today while they were eating dinner. I think he's so desperate to make up for lost time that he's unconsciously using Kiba as a replacement._

_I'm going to suggest Kiba go home for a while tomorrow. Your father clearly isn't well and I'm hoping it will pass with Kiba out of the house. But I hope you give him a chance once you get back. He really is trying, and he knows now how much he's missed. Please come back soon, and give him a chance._

_Love you, brat. Be safe._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Sept. 26._

_Hey again, kiddo,_

_You've got a stellar friend in Kiba. He's a good kid, really helpful. I'm sure he's told you all about the media stopping by, and he agreed to pretend to be you for a little while, just until the hype dies down. It's ridiculous how the people are, the media is all over this and you can tell they're hoping you're dying so they can have a huge story._

_They're sick. Wishing someone's death for a story is sick, and I want to sue all of them. Maybe I will, once you're back. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself, especially not right now. I just... need more time. I need to figure out how much the kidnappers want._

_Shit, I'm trying. So hard, Naruto. I'm trying to give them more than they want so I can get you back but they're not budging. I feel like I should've gotten you back by now, and I haven't, and I'm going insane._

_I can't have you come back broken, Naruto. I can't. Not because of me. Already after your mother, and then your childhood, and everything else that's happened to you, I just... I can't have you come home to me broken. I need to make up for lost time with you, I need to have my son, I need to be able to know that there's still a chance I'll be able to make this up to you._

_I can't do that if you're broken. But so far... you look all right in the videos. So far you're fine—mentally, anyway—but I promise you, when you're back, if you need to talk to someone, anyone, I don't care who they are or where they are or how expensive, anything you need, you tell me. And I will be right beside you the whole time, unless you don't want me there._

_Naruto, I just want a chance to have you back to prove to you that I never meant to be the horrible father you think I am. I never meant for this to happen to us, I just thought I was doing what you wanted. Don't most teenagers just want money and invisible parents? I'm so sorry, Naruto. When you get back, I'll make this right, I promise._

_I know it's not in your power, but I hope you come home soon. I hope that whatever I've done to wrong these people is settled soon, and I have my little boy back._

_I love you, kiddo. Please stay safe._

_Dad._

* * *

_Sept. 29._

_Okay, dude, seriously, your dad has officially lost it. Like, gone off the deep-end in a really bad and somewhat freakish way. You know what he did last night? I woke up to him petting my hair. **Petting my hair**, dude! You do not pet a dude's hair unless he's your boyfriend or your son! You just don't do it!_

_It's freaking me out a little. I spoke to Tsunade about it today and she said I should go home for a while, which is lame, but at the same time, the media keeps seeing a "nurse" leading "you" around the house every now and then so they're getting kind of bored with the story. Though the blond hair is kinda growing on me, I like it. I can pull it off better than you can, now._

_But yeah, I'd talk to you about school but I don't go anymore so, you know, I can't. Though momma's starting to get suspicious (she doesn't know about you, I don't know if I've mentioned that or not) so I'm gonna have to head back there soon. I figure I've done my part here for now, so I can go home, go to school, and then if your dad needs me again, I can always dye my hair again and come back._

_I keep getting calls and texts from Shino and Kank, though, so I really need to get back to school before people figure out what's up. I don't want the cops involved. As much of a dick as your dad can be, I agree with him. Cops fuck shit up, so I'd much rather have you come back without the police being involved._

_Speaking of which, do you even know when you're coming back? Obviously you can't tell me but I kind of hope you at least know. So that you can like, I don't know, count down the days on the wall like those old movies. If you **don't** know, that's pretty cold. I mean, it's not like you can escape, or you would've already, right?_

_Still, hope you're being treated a bit better. Though I'm glad the last video was kind of all right. Just you stripping, nothing I haven't seen before while you've been hammered. Shit, should I be talking about underage drinking? Well, then again, these guys are kidnappers so what the fuck are they gonna do, report us?_

_Damn, I feel like I have no life right now. Did you know my life pretty much revolved around our friendship? Because I didn't until this happened. We have to go to the same university dude or else I'm gonna like... go into withdrawal or something. And then we'll have to be neighbours! Because I'll die without you or something._

_Dude, I sound like I'm confessing my love to you, I feel like a retard. I don't love you. Well, I mean, I do, but not in that way. But whatever. Speaking of love, though, I asked Hinata to the Halloween dance the other day, back before I knew you were kidnapped. You know, cute little shy thing in our English class? She said yes, which would have been more amazing if her cousin hadn't tried to kick the crap out of me after asking her._

_Did I tell you this already? I feel like I should photocopy my letters or something, I can't remember what I have and haven't told you. But yeah, I hope you're back in time for the dance. I know you don't wanna go, but you should anyway, just for the experience, okay?_

_And you better not be sitting there being all "oh, woe is me, why is he talking as if I'm gonna get out of here?" or some dumb shit like that, or I'll hunt your ass down and kick it so hard, you'll feel it until graduation! You'll get out, and I'll be waiting right here to punch you in the face when you get home._

_Make sure that mouth of yours stays in check, like I said before. Take care, man._

_Kiba._

* * *

_September 29th._

_Hello, Naruto._

_I'm sorry if these letters lack in activities, but sadly there isn't much happening here. Other than Kiba pretending to be you and your dad falling apart, not much is really happening._

_I was told your back's been healing up. Kiba told me about the previous video, and how your back looked better, though I double-checked with Minato since he actually saw what it looked like beforehand. He said it's looking good, as well, but worries it will scar._

_I really hope it doesn't scar, Naruto. I know you won't care outwardly, but I know the scarring on your face makes you uncomfortable and insecure, and I don't want you to have more of them, even if they're on your back._

_Sorry, I shouldn't be talking about this. I'm just having a hard time and... This is making me feel like you're five years old all over again. Like I've left to tend to Jiraiya and have called and sent you little notes, only to come back to find out what had happened during my absence. I hate not knowing, but I can't stand to find out at the same time._

_It upsets me, because I used to be a strong woman. I still am, really, but not when it comes to you. Figures a brat like you would break down all my defences and turn me into a whimpering pile of flesh._

_Not that I've been whimpering, but that's beside the point. Either way, be safe, and I'm sorry I have nothing to report, but I promise once I have anything, you'll be the first to know._

_Love you, brat. Be safe._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Sept. 29._

_Hey kiddo,_

_I hope you don't mind I call you that. It's probably going to be what I call you once you get home. Not because I don't want to call you by your name but just because you **are** my kiddo, and it's time I started remembering that. Not to say it's a reminder, but just a kind of way to show you I know and I care._

_That's not how I was planning on starting this note to you. Actually, none of my notes have started out as planned, or even ended as planned. I just keep struggling to find what I want to say to you, and nothing ever feels good enough. It's just... hard._

_Kiba went home an hour ago. We dyed his hair back. Tsunade thought it would be best. For the moment, she's right. The media's laid off a bit, and Tsume is getting suspicious and grumpy with me for stealing her son. Best to just send him home for now and call him back if we need him._

_I'm hoping we won't need him, though. Hopefully this will all be over quickly. I keep adding more money, even though the kidnapper told me it wouldn't make a difference. I'm hoping he'll change his mind. Never know, right?_

_But overall... This is... I'm falling apart right now. I know you don't believe me, but I really am, Naruto. I need you to come back. Please just don't be disrespectful and just try and stay on their good side so that you can come back to me, all right?_

_I know I don't deserve anything from you. I know I don't, because I've been a shitty father, but I love you, and I care about you, and I just can't say it enough to make up for the years where I didn't show it. I'm so sorry, please stay safe so that I can make it up to you._

_I hope I see you soon, kiddo. I love you._

_Dad._

* * *

_Oct. 2._

_Dude, so, your dad's an ass. He won't let me see the last video, what the fuck happened in it? Seriously, was it that bad? He won't even tell Tsunade about it, and keeps acting like it's more horrible than anything else we've already seen._

_What did they do, like, peel your skin off layer by layer? And if not, don't get any ideas, kidnappers, I'll kill you. But still, I don't get what could be so fucking bad. But whatever, I'll probably sneak in today and find out, provided I can make it into the house without getting caught. Though truthfully, your dad's office is starting to scare me. There's too much... you. Seriously._

_I'm back at school now. Nothing exciting happening, except I got detention yesterday for punching Baki in the face. Yeah, I know, ballsy, right? I just overheard him talking to Anko about you, and how it would be easier on the world if you didn't make it through your illness so that your dad's company would die with you._

_Dude, seriously? A teacher does not say that to another teacher within earshot of said "sick person's" best friend, all right? I almost got expelled, but momma came and did her usual scary as fuck mother act and I ended up with a detention. They couldn't even suspend me with momma's scariness, isn't that crazy?_

_I swear, the chick I marry is gonna suffer really bad. She better love me a lot, or else she won't be able to handle my mother. But anyway, yeah, I got detention protecting your stupid ass. So I better get a huge thanks when you get back._

_I'm thinking you and me, Hawaii, an entire month. Just us, the babes, and a nice five-star hotel. Your treat, since I did you a favour. And also cause momma cut me off as punishment for almost getting expelled. I'm broke until summer. But I figure if we go for Christmas break, that's a good plan, right?_

_But yeah, come back soon so you can strut your aliveness in Baki's face, the motherfucker. I wanted him fired, but they wouldn't do it, because everyone's entitled their opinion. Still, though, are you kidding me? I'm glad I don't have the guy this year because he'd fail me outta spite. And I wouldn't deserve it! I was protecting my best friend!_

_Anyway, enough about me. Not that I can ask about you but just... I'm done. Stay cool, be safe, come home, all that usual shit I say that has absolutely no meaning since you're probably not reading these, and I'll talk to you soon._

_Kiba._

* * *

_October 2nd._

_Hello Naruto,_

_This will probably be too much information for you, but two days ago, I finally convinced your father to shower. You don't want to know what he smelled like, it was horrendous. I don't think he's showered since finding out you were kidnapped, so suffice it to say, being anywhere near him was difficult._

_But I managed to get him to shower, and now he's almost his old self. Well, appearance-wise, anyway. I know he has a banquet to go to in a few days, one he absolutely cannot miss as it has to do with you—it's a fund-raiser of sorts for you to get well soon—and if he doesn't go, it will look bad. Especially since people might start asking questions as to why he didn't come._

_Though really, he's leaning towards pretending your condition worsened and he can't go, which would work, actually. I'm just concerned that people will get suspicious since, after all, no one's actually **seen** you since you got sick. And we're still not sure what to tell them you have. For the moment, we're pulling the "the doctors aren't sure" card but that can only last so long._

_I'm hoping things will work out relatively quickly and we'll get you home and we can stop this charade. I don't know if your father will admit that you were kidnapped, though, I think he might sit down and talk to you about it, and see how you feel. It is, after all, you who will be most affected by it. Though I suppose being sick and healed will gain as much attention but... Well, it's something you can discuss with your father._

_I hope you're still doing well, and take care of yourself, brat. I want you healthy and lively when you get back, just the way I like you!_

_Love you, brat._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Oct. 2._

_Hey kiddo._

_I don't know what to say anymore. I don't know how much more I can apologize. I know it doesn't mean anything, I know you have absolutely no control over when you'll get to return home, but I just feel the need to continuously tell you I'm sorry in hopes that if you get to read this, you'll realize I truly mean it._

_The last video I got was concerning. Not because of what you did, but because I'm worried about what these men are doing to you in terms of their own pleasure. I don't like seeing you forced into a situation like that, especially considering... well, I know you know what I mean, and I'm just... I'm so sorry this happened, Naruto. I will never, ever be able to say that enough, and once you're back, things will change._

_Things will be however you want. I will be a better father to you, Naruto, I promise. I **promise**! When you grow up, you'll look back on this and realize that once you got back, they were the best years of your life with your old man._

_I will earn the love I always assumed I was guaranteed. I know now life doesn't work that way and I promise I will never buy you off again. I will always take your feelings into consideration._

_I love you, kiddo. I love you so much._

_Dad._

* * *

_Oct. 5_

_Hey dude,_

_So I have no idea what happened, but whatever happened, I hope you're okay. Tsunade fucking broke the disc from the last drop into like, powder fine fucking pieces to ensure I wouldn't see it, which just makes me feel inclined to believe it was bad. Really bad. Especially when your dad flipped at seeing me sitting at his desk when he got downstairs. He was worried I'd seen it and practically killed me with the hug he gave me for my supposed trauma._

_Whatever happened... Fuck dude, I'm sorry, and I hope you're okay. I hope this is over soon. I hope those assholes who have you get caught. This isn't right, doing these things to you. You've never done anything to them, and I'm just... Fuck, I'm so mad, dude. I'm so pissed off I can't even stand it._

_And I have no one. I can't talk to anyone about this because I'm not allowed to tell anyone. The only people I really talk to are Tsunade and your dad. Honestly, your dad's such a mess it's hard to even get a word in without feeling like shit, and Tsunade's... Well, she's better at hiding it, but I know it hurts her, too. She just insults me and pushes me around in an attempt at normality._

_Oh hey, happier topic before I turn into a girl and start blubbering at you, did I tell you I asked Hinata to go to the Halloween dance and she said yes? I can't remember what I have and haven't told you. I keep meaning to photocopy these letters so I have records of them, but I always forget, and I figure you're bored enough to appreciate repetition, right?_

_Nothing else really to report. I hate not having you around to hang with. I'm gonna need to be you again, too. Your dad said that he's been getting heat from work about you, with people wanting to come and visit, and some actually showing up. So he wants me to lie in your bed and pretend to be dying. Gonna have to change my hair again, which sucks. Dye is really itchy, dude. I've never dyed my hair for anyone, so you should feel special I've been doing it for your sorry ass._

_Yeah... Fuck dude, I hope you been keeping that mouth of yours shut. Fuck, I wanna know what that last video was._

_How worried should I be dude?_

_God, fuck, please just shut up and come home safe._

_Kiba._

* * *

_October 5th._

_Naruto,_

_I hope you're not finding these letters tiresome. If you're getting them at all, I suppose. Even if you're not, it makes me feel better to be writing them. I just pretend you're at Kiba's summer home or something, and it makes it easier._

_It's getting hard to even call you brat, now. Because I'm too worried about you. I'm going to pummel you to death through Kiba when you get home for scaring me like this. I'm too old for this! As you often remind me, I am an old hag, and therefore my heart is not as strong as it used to be and you're really stretching me thin._

_But I'll manage. Somehow. I at least don't watch the videos, and from what I understand, this is a good thing. The last one had your father throwing up. He really didn't look too good, and I'm actually concerned about his mental state. And yours. I'm so worried that when you come home you'll both be so broken that you'll never recover._

_You're a strong kid, Naruto. Whatever they're doing, I hope to God you're able to stay strong. I hope that when you come home, you're still you. Please still be you when you come home. I can't bear to lose two of you._

_Love you, brat._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Oct. 5._

_I don't know who you people are, but if I ever find you... I can't believe what you did to my son. Naruto, I am so, so sorry for what happened. I just... I wish it was me. I wish to God it was me, and I'm so sorry, and I don't know how to fix it! I don't! I've tried everything I can think of!_

_Please, just stop hurting my son. Please. I've told you I'll do whatever you want, please just leave him alone. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!_

_Naruto, I know there's no way for me to make this up to you, but whatever happens, please don't let them break you. Please, I don't think I could handle that. I know that's selfish of me to say but I need you to not be broken so that I can be the dad you always wanted. I can't do that if you're not you. Please just hold on a little longer. Just a little longer. I'm working on it, I'm trying, I really am! I'm so sorry!_

_Please hold on! I love you so much, kiddo! So much!_

_Dad._

* * *

_Oct. 8._

_Hey dude,_

_Me again. As per usual. Shit, I really hope you're getting these, otherwise it's like a waste of time or something. I don't know. Probably not, but like... I don't know. I guess I'm feeling a little disheartened, at this point. Especially after spending the day with your dad. The whole office thing went off great, no one suspected a thing, and then all of a sudden, your dad retreats to his study, and I went to check on him, and he was like... this sobbing mess in the corner._

_It was... scary. I think you're holding up better than he is, at this point. If the kidnappers want him to suffer, they're succeeding. I honestly think he's gonna snap for good any day now if you don't get returned. Seriously, kidnapper people, I think you've done enough._

_You have a shit ton of money, and like... Naruto's never done anything to anyone. Can you please just let him go now? Please? Before his dad actually snaps. Because it's not easy to watch, and it's actually making me even more anxious. I don't wanna break down, too._

_Seriously, it's been almost a month. Just barely shy of a month. Just give him back._

_Kiba._

* * *

_October 8th._

_Naruto,_

_Please don't take this the wrong way, and I'm not going to actually say much because, well, others are reading, but I saw the last video, and I just want to say I'm proud of you. That might sound weird, but I really am. I was both elated and disgusted, and I know you know why for both. But you've really... you're a strong kid, brat. I'm really proud of you, and you've kind of renewed my hope that everything's going to be okay._

_I can't wait to see you. I miss you, so, so much._

_Love you, brat._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Oct. 8._

_I can't do this anymore. I can't, I just... Please. I know you hate me, I know you want money, I know you're punishing me, but please, just... I can't do this anymore. I need him back. Please. I'm begging you. Any amount, whatever you want, anything you need, please, just tell me, and give him back. I can't take this anymore, I need him. I need him back, I'll do anything, give you anything, **anything**! Please! Just give me my son back! Please! Give him back! Give me back my son! Please, I can't take this anymore. I can't take knowing I've been a horrible father and I've missed out on so much, please don't take him from me. I need him back, give him back, please. Please! I will give you my entire company, I will give you anything you ask of me, just give me back my son! _

* * *

_Oct. 11._

_Hey dude._

_So... yeah I have nothing really to say except to talk about your dad's freakout the other day. I know I mentioned it at least but... yeah. Tsunade and I went to do the drop for you, because he just... lost it. And when he woke up after having calmed down and saw the time, dude, I seriously thought he was going to die. He was..._

_I know you hate him, Naruto. Trust me, I know he's been a shitty dad, I've even bitched him out about it, but like... You should have seen him. It was actually a little scary. Kind of reminds me of how close I am to losing my shit, too. But seriously, I know you hate him, but when you get back, you should give him a chance._

_He's really... This is hard for him. It's hard for all of us and... I really hope you come home soon because it's only getting harder. I'm sure it's worse for you but just... I really need you to come home, dude. So make it home._

_Kiba._

* * *

_October 11th._

_Hey brat,_

_Still holding up, I hope. Your father and I celebrated your birthday. I'm sorry you weren't here to celebrate it with us, but I promise I'll get you another cake when you're back. I know you don't like store-bought cakes, usually, but I got this one from that place you really like, and it doesn't seem fair not to get you another one. I know you'd have enjoyed it._

_I hope you got to celebrate it, as well. Somehow. Maybe they gave you an entire day of not coming to harass you. I hope so. I really was hoping you'd be home for your birthday, but we'll just have to celebrate it again when you get back, I suppose._

_I really don't know what else to talk to you about. I feel like these letters have become random updates of how life is here and me constantly expressing how much I miss being able to wake you up in the morning with idle threats._

_I really do miss you, brat. Be safe, and I love you._

_Tsunade._

* * *

_Oct. 11._

_Hey kiddo,_

_Happy birthday. I know it's a day late, but considering the circumstances, I'm hoping you'll forgive me. Especially since this time, I had no desire to be missing it, I wasn't given a choice. At least I have no excuses for the previous times, I was just a shitty father, and nothing can ever make up for that._

_But this time, I was really hoping you would be home for it. I was trying to avoid thinking about when your birthday was, so I wouldn't be reminded of the fact that you may not be here for it. But then I walked into the kitchen and saw your cake. It was kind of a reminder that was too hard to ignore. Didn't have a choice._

_Tsunade and I ate some. It was good, I understand why you wanted that specifically. We'll order another one when you get back. We'll celebrate your return and your birthday all at once._

_And I understand how angry you must be. Because it's my fault you didn't get to celebrate it here with Kiba or Tsunade._

_Or me._

_If you'd even want to celebrate it with me, at this point. I'm just... I'm sorry, Naruto. For everything. For the years of neglect, for what happened when you were younger, for what's happening now, just... I'm so, so sorry, and I hope one day you'll forgive me._

_Happy birthday, kiddo, and I love you._

_Dad._


	17. Twenty-Five Cents

**A/N: OMG WORK TIEM!  
**

**Disclaimer: So Kishimoto Masashi is a tremendously amazing poker player. I tried to make him wager Kiba in exchange for something I had, but his hand was so good that he just kept smiling and agreeing to everything I asked for. I still insist he cheated. The eight armed gunmen standing around our table insist he was just lucky. **

**Ice Station still belongs to Matthew Reilly, and is still the most amazing book ever ;~; **

* * *

**October 12th, 12:14**

There was an annoying and somewhat painful pinch between Sasuke's nostrils, and he brought one hand up, still asleep, to try and remove the annoyance. After rubbing at his nose, and the pinch not disappearing, the raven's brain slowly began to force him into consciousness. The more awake he became, the more aware of his surroundings he became.

First, he could hear an annoying beeping sound from somewhere to his right, the steady rhythm not as soothing as he would have expected. Additionally, the back of his left hand hurt like a bitch, and his nose was still in that annoying pinched state.

Forcing his eyes open, it took a second for them to adjust, but when they did, he frowned slightly at the unfamiliar room. The walls were white, there was a large window somewhere to his right, and it wasn't until he turned his head and saw the IV lead inserted into the back of his left hand that he realized he was in a hospital.

The beeping sound was his heart rate monitor and the pinch in his nose was a respirator. What the fuck had happened to make him end up in the hospital?

He started to try and sit up, attempting to move his right arm to help with the process, but it refused to budge. In fact, it sent a spark of pain up his arm and he glanced down to find it encased in a cast.

"You're awake."

Sasuke jumped and turned to see Itachi standing in the now-open doorway of his room. Even though the other's tone hadn't suggested anything about how he felt, Sasuke could tell he was relieved by the expression on his face.

"Is this a hospital?" he asked, his voice groggy.

"Yes, I brought you here yesterday." Itachi sat down in the chair beside his bed, placing a cup of coffee on the table beside him. Sasuke assumed he'd been about to drink it before noticing he was awake.

"Yesterday? How long was I out?" Sasuke rubbed at his eyes with his good hand, trying to clear his foggy brain. His head felt tender, but only when he touched too close to his forehead. Otherwise, it didn't bother him as much as his arm.

"Almost twenty-four hours. Just shy of."

"Shit, Na—" Sasuke started to blurt out the blond's name then forced it back in his throat. Surprisingly, Itachi didn't even look mad at his almost screw-up.

"He's fine. He's at home, still."

"Alone?" the younger Uchiha asked, dumbfounded.

"I've checked in on him periodically. He's not tried anything. He just sits and calls your name every time I open the basement door."

Sasuke winced at hearing that, honestly unsure of how he felt knowing Naruto was home alone. What if he needed something? What if the house burned down somehow? What if someone found him?

He tried to dispel the thoughts, and instead focussed on what had happened. He didn't remember much, but he could only conclude that he must have fallen down the stairs, given what he _did_ remember. He was embarrassed, and tried to stop the heat threatening to make its way up the back of his neck.

"He physically injured himself," Itachi suddenly said, making Sasuke look back over at him. His brother looked thoughtful, almost concerned. "Trying to get free when you fell, I mean. He tugged so hard he drew blood. All to get free so he could help you."

Sasuke was worried, now. He hoped Itachi had at least treated the other's wounds. Especially now that he was down one arm, he was going to have a hard time trying to get the blond cleaned up, not to mention infection could set in!

Itachi must have noticed his concern, because he continued. "I cleaned him up when I got home last night. He's fine." Itachi was eying him again. "He's been left home alone, and knows it, and not once has he tried to get free. He doesn't care about anything other than how you're doing. I usually inform him of your condition after he's finished shouting your name up the stairs when the basement door opens."

It wasn't by accident that his brother had mentioned that twice. That he'd deliberately told Sasuke two times in this one conversation that Naruto was calling out to him every time the door opened. He swallowed hard.

"You're both too attached," Itachi informed him, as if he hadn't already known that.

Sasuke averted his gaze, playing with the corner of the medical tape holding his IV in place on his hand. "I know," he whispered.

"He needs to go home."

"I know," he repeated.

"No," Itachi said, making Sasuke glance up at him, confused. "He needs to go home now."

The younger Uchiha had no words to describe the absolute panic that overtook him. His chest seized up and it was suddenly difficult to breathe. Had Itachi already sent him away?! But he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye! Or explain anything! Or... or _anything_!

"Now?" he demanded, trying not to betray how much the other's words had freaked him out. "But... right now?"

Itachi leaned back in his seat. "The doctor said he wants to keep you overnight for observation again, which means you will be discharged tomorrow morning. I'll come get you, and then I will give you one day. One entire day, and then he goes home."

Sasuke looked away, clenching his good fist, and gritting his teeth. One day? That was all he had left? He was meant to have ten, and instead, he would only get one.

"You're injured," Itachi continued, "and I can't risk a few more days of you two together. You've both already surpassed the danger zone and, honestly, I've never heard of a case of Stockholm Syndrome this severe. He actually loves you, and you know that's unacceptable."

The younger teen's eyes shot to the door, but it was closed and there was so much hustle and bustle outside he was sure no one had heard. Still, he'd have thought his brother would be a little bit more careful.

Though that wasn't what he was really focussing on. He was pissed off. Mostly at himself. Because if he hadn't gotten injured, Itachi would have stuck to the original plan. He would have had his ten extra days with the blond, and now... Now he wasn't even going to be able to fuck him one last time.

Not that that was all he cared about, but knowing he would never be able to ever again just... He felt cheated. His time had been cut short, and he could no longer be physical, and he hated that. The talking only went so far when he had to hide parts of himself. Naruto strengthened their relationship with his words, and Sasuke did with his actions.

He felt cheated. That was all that came to mind. He felt fucking cheated.

"He's going home on the fourteenth, little brother," Itachi said, rubbing salt in the wound, though probably not intentionally. "You have all day tomorrow to say goodbye. Make it count."

* * *

**October 13th, 08:42**

The basement door opened almost silently, but Naruto hadn't really been sleeping anyway, so the sound easily made its way to his ears. He sat up, head turning in its general direction, and asked what he knew would be answered with a "no."

"Essyu?"

"I hear you missed me."

The blond's heart leapt into his throat and he almost tried to lurch towards the stairs before the chains stopped him and he remembered he didn't have quite that much freedom.

"Essyu! Holy fucking shit, you scared the crap out of me! I'm _so_ sorry! Don't ever go upstairs to get me anything ever again!"

He heard a chuckle from nearby, the other obviously having made his way over to him, and felt the futon sink beside him. He turned to face the other, still concerned, and felt a finger against his forehead, rubbing away the wrinkles from his frown.

"I like you much better when you're smiling."

"I like you much better when you're not broken!" Naruto resisted the urge to flail. "Are you okay? Ayuu said your arm was broken."

"It's fine. Wanna sign my cast?" He could hear the teasing note in the other's voice, but he answered in the affirmative anyway.

The mask was removed, and he blinked against the light, eyes focussing on the other's masked face before looking down at his casted arm. He winced, reaching out to lightly touch the plaster before retreating his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Essyu. Fuck, I can't believe this happened."

The kidnapper snorted. "You'd think you wouldn't be so concerned about someone who has you tied up in their basement."

"What if I like it?" Naruto asked with a grin, but it faded quickly, his eyes returning to the cast. "Does it hurt?"

"Off and on." Essyu shrugged and held out a pen. "You can't sign your name. Hopefully you understand why."

Naruto snorted, grabbing the pen. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

Leaning forward, he bent his head down and carefully started writing out his apology on the other's cast, mostly telling him he was sorry, and that he hoped his arm healed soon. He also added that he cared for him a great deal, but didn't use the word "love." He wasn't quite that sappy.

"There." He grinned, pleased with his work, and looked up.

Essyu's mask had been pushed up to his nose, and the other's good hand moved to Naruto's chin, pulling his up slightly so their lips met. They lingered there for a few seconds, then Essyu pulled away and rested his covered forehead against Naruto's.

"Is something wrong?" the blond asked, frowning. "Are you doped up or something? You seem a bit weird."

"Just savouring the moment," Essyu whispered. "I won't be having it again."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going home tomorrow."

It felt like the bottom of Naruto's stomach had fallen out. He honestly didn't know how to feel about that. A part of him was thrilled, but another part of him was horrified. Testament to how much he'd fallen for the other during his stay, he couldn't think about whether he wanted to go home or not.

It just seemed so surreal. Almost too sudden, even. He'd expected a bit more of a heads up, a bit more time to process that soon he would never see Essyu again. To find out he only had twenty-four hours with him, maybe less...

"Is it because you're hurt?" he asked. "Because I'd have thought my staying here alone for the past two days would have informed Ayuu I'm not interested in escaping."

"Actually, it's because of that that he wants to send you home." Essyu reached up and pulled his mask back down, Naruto shifting so he was sitting beside him, leaning back against the wall. "We got too attached. He's worried about how it'll affect us when we part." He paused. "That's a lie, he's worried about how it'll affect _me_."

Naruto frowned when the other snorted, clearly feeling his brother was punishing him, but the blond just lowered his gaze and licked his lips.

"You know... he was worried about you." He offered the other a smile when he looked at him. "He might not show it, but he risked everything leaving me here alone, and he knows that. But he didn't care because he was worried about you, and nothing else mattered. Not the money, not me, not even your plans for the future. All he cared about was getting you to the hospital. He even ignored my screams of whether or not you were okay in favour of rushing you outside."

Essyu stared at him for a few seconds before looking out across the basement. "I guess I always thought he saw me as an inconvenience. I was just useful for this because it wouldn't have worked with one person."

"I think you mean more to him than you realize." Naruto shrugged. "He probably sucks at showing it." The blond lowered his voice, smiling slightly while recalling the other night. "Like my dad."

"What do you mean?"

Naruto glanced at him, then turned and reached for the letters he'd put under his pillow. He'd had some irrational fear once he'd read them that Ayuu would come and snatch them away from him, so he'd hidden them—albeit not very well, but he was low on options—to ensure he'd be able to keep them. Turning back to Essyu, he held them out to him, the other taking them and leafing through them with a frown clearly evident in his eyes.

"Apparently they've been with every drop. Ayuu was keeping them but I guess after he saw what I did to help you, he felt I deserved to read them." Naruto leaned closer to Essyu so he could read over his shoulder. "They're not very long or anything, but it's not the length, it's the content." He smiled. "I honestly didn't think my dad would care that much, considering how he always is when I'm around, but..."

"But he does," Essyu finished for him, having stopped on one of his dad's letters. "He really cares for you."

"I think Ayuu's the same for you," Naruto said. "Just, like my dad, he's not good at expressing it until something comes up. I guess, in his own way, he wants to separate us before things go any further." Naruto winced. "Before we really can't let go. It'll hurt less."

"I don't think this could ever hurt less," Essyu whispered.

* * *

**October 13th, 12: 37**

Itachi watched his brother bustle around the kitchen, getting bowls out of the cabinet and grabbing forks and spoons from the drawer, managing to move remarkably quickly for someone who only had the use of one arm.

He could tell his brother was moving so quickly because he didn't want to lose even one second of his time with Naruto. In some dark, corner of his emotions, Itachi actually felt guilty seeing that. But the more dominant part of his personality reminded him it was for the best. The longer they stayed together, the more broken his brother would be once they let Naruto go.

It was better this way, and he knew it was. It didn't make it any easier to watch, though. That was probably why he felt compelled to say something. He didn't know what, he wasn't really one for idle chit chat, and Sasuke knew that, but right now, for this, he felt he should say something.

When the younger Uchiha headed for the basement door, balancing a makeshift tray in his free hand, Itachi stood to open the door for him, but before doing so, he looked his brother in the eye.

"I'm not punishing you, Sasuke."

"I know," the other replied, averting his gaze. "I don't think I would've felt any different on the twenty-second, it's just harder because I thought I had more time."

Itachi wished he could give him more time. Seeing how much the two obviously cared for one another, he wished things could turn out differently for them. But they couldn't. They never would. No matter how much Naruto cared about his brother, there was no way Itachi would risk him telling someone who had kidnapped him.

It was better this way. He knew it was better. But it didn't make it suck any less.

"I'm sorry."

Sasuke seemed taken aback by that, his head jerking back and eyes shooting up to look into Itachi's. Then he snorted and averted his gaze again.

"My own fault. I'm the one who fell for our hostage."

"The way I understand it, it would have been hard not to," Itachi offered, opening the basement door. "I hope your last few hours with him are memorable."

"What time are we dropping him off at?" Sasuke asked in a low voice, shifting his weight.

"Midnight."

The teenager nodded, brushed past him, and headed down the stairs. Itachi shut the door behind him.

* * *

**October 13th, 15:27**

"Ayuu'd never go for it," Sasuke said with a snort, despite how badly he wished that weren't true. Despite how badly he wanted to jump on the offer. "We'd risk getting caught."

"But how?" Naruto insisted, his eyes almost desperate, though his expression was one of annoyance. "If I pay for the PO box, it's not like anyone will be able to track you! Sure you'll have to go in to get the letters, but similarly, you could always have it picked up by someone else! I mean, it'd be a way to keep in touch." The blond winced. "Unless you don't want that."

"It's not a matter of what I want, Naruto," the raven insisted with a sigh. "It's a matter of Ayuu. He'll do anything to make sure this ends with us rich and not in jail, and that just... it risks messing up his plans. He won't go for it." He shook his head, ignoring the sigh from the blond beside him.

"This just... It fucking sucks." Naruto banged his head backwards once, letting out another loud sigh while staring at the ceiling. "Figures the one guy I fall for is one I can't have."

"Others will replace me," Sasuke said, though the words were like razor blades in his mouth. He knew it was true, but it still hurt to say.

"No," Naruto said firmly, turning to look at him. "Essyu, no one will _ever_ replace you. I mean, you—you helped me get over my phobia. Years and years of doctors and therapists and-and hypnosis and just... One month with you and I'm mostly better. Shit, I might even be able to shower without a towel when I get home." He laughed slightly, still looking at Essyu. "You really think anyone is going to be able to top that? No one will ever be that amazing ever again."

"Don't make this harder," Sasuke growled, turning away from him and scowling. "Just move on once I'm gone, because if you don't, I'll never let you go and who knows where that'll leave us."

"What about in ten years?" Naruto asked. "If we're both still single, maybe in ten years you can come to me? I mean, by then, everything will have calmed down and just... Why are you laughing?"

The blond was scowling at him, but Sasuke couldn't help it. It just seemed so ridiculous for Naruto to believe that ten years from now, he would still care for Sasuke.

"Ten years is a long time, Naruto."

"So what?"

"You're very charismatic," Sasuke informed him. "And funny, and likable. You've probably caught the eye of numerous people, Uzumaki, and one day, someone else is going to catch yours."

"You know, just to prove you wrong, I'm gonna remain celibate until the next time we meet." Naruto crossed his arms and scowled. "Even if that means getting kidnapped again." He paused. "Though without Ayuu would be nice."

Sasuke chuckled, turning to press a kiss to Naruto's temple. When he pulled away, he felt his chest constrict again at the knowledge that in a few short hours, this would all be over, and he would never have this with the other ever again.

* * *

**October 13th, 23:45**

A grunt escaped slightly parted lips at the jab he felt against his shoulderblades. Another jab forced one eye to peek open and Sasuke squinted, turning his head slightly to see Itachi standing over him, wearing his ski mask and holding another one out to Sasuke.

The raven stared at him for a few long seconds before pulling his good arm out from under himself and checking the time. He felt his chest clench but obediently shifted to stand. Naruto let out a grunt, rolling over and wrapping his arm around Sasuke's waist in his sleep, forcing him back over to himself.

Wincing, Sasuke shook the other awake, the motion awkward with how he was now positioned since he only had one hand to work with. Naruto let out a mumbled inquiry that Sasuke didn't quite catch, but assumed he was asking what was going on.

"Naruto, it's time to wake up."

"What?" The blond slowly lifted his head, eyes still covered by the mask. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight."

"We're going now?"

"Yeah."

The blond was silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding. "Yeah, okay."

He sat up, and Sasuke disentangled himself from him, standing and letting Itachi help him get the mask on. He noticed his brother didn't have a gun out. It wasn't even tucked in his waistband. Clearly, the blond had more than proven he wasn't going to try and run, because that was the only reason Itachi would feel comfortable enough not to have one on him. Not that there'd be much point in running when they were about to drop him off, but still.

Bending down, he unlocked all of Naruto's shackles, and then removed the mask, helping the blond to his feet.

"Wait."

Naruto turned and grabbed up all the letters he'd received, folding them in half and then tucking them into _Ice Station_, which he held against his chest.

Itachi turned and Sasuke glanced over his shoulder when his brother picked something up from his usual chair. He realized it was the blond's clothing, what he'd been wearing when they'd first picked him up.

"You can change in the bathroom."

"Right," Naruto whispered, grabbing the bundle of clothing and heading for the now-familiar door.

Sasuke grit his teeth, letting out a slow breath, then looked at Itachi. His brother was resolutely not looking at him.

"Should I get the car started?"

"No, it's all ready to go. The van's in the garage with the doors open. Once he's in, we'll go."

Sasuke nodded, turning to look back at the bathroom door. It opened a minute later, the blond emerging in his own clothes, book still clenched in his hand.

"Essyu will lead the way up. I'll follow behind you," Itachi informed the blond, who just nodded.

Sasuke turned and headed for the stairs, climbing them for what would probably be the last time, since Itachi was going to be doing the cleanup due to his broken arm. He walked through the kitchen, into the living room, and turned to enter the laundry room, pulling open the garage door.

The sight of the van reminded him that this was it. This was the last time he was going to see Naruto. At least so personally. He was sure he'd see him again in newspapers, on television, maybe even on the street. But he'd never see him like he was now.

Walking towards the back of the van, Naruto stopped beside the open doors, licked his lips, and turned to Itachi. "Can Essyu ride with me?"

Sasuke thought Itachi was going to say no, but he seemed to check himself before snapping out a "fine," and motioning them in. Naruto climbed up first, and then helped Sasuke in, the raven sitting down with his back against the side of the van. Naruto took a seat beside him, but turned when Itachi leaned in, holding something out to him.

It wasn't until Naruto brought it back in front of himself that Sasuke saw it was a quarter.

"We're dropping you off at school. There are payphones down the block. You can call your father to come and pick you up."

The doors shut loudly, bathing them in darkness.

Sasuke felt Naruto's hand groping along his leg until it found his own, and closed around it.

"So this is it," Naruto whispered.

"Guess so," Sasuke replied.

"This sucks."

"Just a little."

"Just a lot," Naruto corrected.

Sasuke didn't say anything in answer to that. He just tightened his grip on Naruto's hand, and they rode in silence. It wasn't a particularly long drive, but it was still a lengthy trip. Currently, it felt like it had gone by in mere seconds. All too soon, the van stopped and he heard a door slam. Itachi opened the back of the van, and then disappeared. Sasuke heard the driver's side door slam again, informing him his brother had returned behind the wheel.

"I'm gonna miss you, Essyu," Naruto said in a low voice. "Honestly. I will."

"Me too," Sasuke forced out. He wasn't good with goodbyes. He wasn't good with sap.

And he really wasn't ready to let Naruto go.

The blond stood and started towards the end of the van.

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow," Sasuke said.

Naruto turned to grin at him. "Fuck Britannia."

Snorting, the Uchiha stood as well, moving to the doors so he could close the open one once Naruto got out. The blond jumped down, and Sasuke reached out for the handle when Naruto grabbed it.

"Wait." He let out a slow breath. "Will I ever see you again?"

Sasuke winced, because he knew he wouldn't. "No. But I'll always be watching you."

There was another pause, and then without warning, Naruto reached forward, pulled Sasuke's mask up to expose his lips, then yanked him forward with one hand at the back of the other's head.

Honestly, the kiss was painful, in more ways than one. Sasuke's left hand was twisted awkwardly to stop him from falling into Naruto, the blond's teeth were digging into his lips, and he was pretty sure he'd bitten his own tongue before the actual kiss had started.

But despite all that, it was still the best kiss he'd ever experienced, if only because it would forever be unforgettable.

It continued on for a few seconds, and then Sasuke finally pushed Naruto away, gritting his teeth and slamming the door shut. Once it was closed, he fell into the door when Itachi gunned it, crying out slightly when his injured arm hit the inside of the van.

He quickly got back into a seated position, cradling his injured arm to himself, though it definitely didn't hurt nearly as much as the pain in his chest.

* * *

**October 14th, 00:19**

Truthfully, Naruto was somewhat glad that Essyu had pushed him away. If he hadn't, he was positive neither of them would've had the strength to stop. It still didn't hurt any less when the van's taillights disappeared around the corner.

He opened his hand to stare down at the quarter, then bent down to grab the book he'd dropped when he'd kissed the other teen. Taking a deep breath, he started heading for the exit to the school grounds, following the van's trail.

He didn't know how to feel at the moment. He was happy to be free, happy to be going home. To be seeing Kiba and Tsunade and... well, and his dad. Hopefully his dad will have changed. But either way, he was happy to be out. But he was also completely miserable, because he knew he was never going to connect with anyone else the way he had with Essyu.

It would never happen again, and he was going to spend the rest of his life hating Essyu for making him fall for him.

Since he couldn't decide how to feel, he went with numb. He just walked towards the payphones, and tried not to think about anything but putting one foot in front of the other. Just moving his feet. Left, right, left, right.

Once he actually reached the phones, he was almost confused as to what he was supposed to be doing. It felt like things hadn't sunk in yet. Like any second, Ayuu was going to show up and shove a gun up his ass or something. Not that Ayuu had been mean the last few days, but it was just something he'd have expected more than to be standing there with nothing happening.

Reaching out, he picked up the phone and lifted his hand to press the quarter into the slot, but paused before doing so. A part of him wanted to call Kiba, because he knew the other would show up in a second. But he couldn't do that. After reading the letters, he had to give his father the benefit of the doubt. Despite how much he knew it would hurt if Tsunade was the one who showed up, he had to at least give his father a chance.

Sighing, he pushed the coin into the slot and dialled home, hearing it ring only once before a weary voice answered.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out. "Hey dad."

* * *

**October 14th, 00:28**

Minato sat staring at his computer screen, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips while watching Naruto recount—again—what he'd received for his birthday. He watched the way his son hugged the book he'd received, and the way he beamed at the camera at the end of the video.

Restarting it without letting it trail into the time and location for the next drop, he watched the masked man move towards his son again with the cake, Naruto eagerly blowing out the candles.

Minato had actually slowly been picking away at his son's cake while watching this video. It made him feel like Naruto was there with him when the blond blew out his candles and recounted his birthday. It made it easier.

The video had reached the end again, and he restarted it for the millionth time when the phone rang. It made him almost leap out of his skin, but he quickly grabbed it so it wouldn't wake anyone else. He figured it was work. He didn't really know who else would be calling at such an hour.

He didn't bother trying to be upset, because he was awake anyway, and he was pretty sure whatever the people had to tell him wouldn't be that important to him anyway.

"Hello?"

At first, he heard nothing, and almost repeated himself when he heard a soft exhale, and then a voice.

A voice he could also currently hear coming from his computer.

_"Hey dad."_

Minato was on his feet in an instant, almost choking himself with the phone cord in his haste to head to the closest exit so he could find a car.

"Naruto! Naruto, oh my God! Where are you?! Did you escape?! Are you out?! Where are you?!"

_"I didn't escape,"_ Naruto replied calmly. Much too calmly. Minato didn't know how he could be so calm, he was freaking out! He was scared he was going to wake up any second and find this was a horrible, cruel dream.

"Where _are_ you?!"

_"I'm at school. Can you come and get me?"_

"Don't move!" Minato exclaimed into the phone, already inching as close to the door as he could. "Do not move! Not one inch! I will be there in thirty seconds! Don't move, I'm coming! I'll be right there!"

He didn't bother hanging up, he just hurled the phone away and raced for the door before remembering he needed keys.

He didn't know where the keys were kept.

"Tsunade!" he shouted, turning and racing down the corridor towards her room. "Tsunade, I need keys!"

Her door opened mere seconds before he reached it, the woman looking out at him sleepily, obviously confused. "Keys?"

"Car keys! Keys! Now! I need keys!"

He turned and raced towards the kitchen, knowing there were hooks on the wall above one of the counters that held a bunch of keys. One of them had to belong to a car, right?

He grabbed all of them when he reached them, Tsunade rushing along behind him.

"Minato, what are you...?" she trailed off, following behind him when he rushed for the door. He felt she was probably confused because she was still half-asleep but by the time he reached the front door, she understood. "Is he...?"

"He's at school!" Minato exclaimed, fumbling to unlock the front door and laughing, feeling tears forming. "Fuck, Tsunade, he's at _school_! I have to get there before something happens again!"

He wrenched the door open after what felt like too long of him wrestling with it and bolted towards the garage, feeling stones digging into his feet, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything except that his son was at his fucking school!

When he reached the large garage, he was about to start trying keys at random when Tsunade's hand snatched one from his own and he heard a beep. Looking up, he saw his son's favourite car, the 2008 Honda Civic he never let him drive, flashing its lights.

Minato turned to look at Tsunade, the woman holding the key out to him.

"I have to go alone."

"I know," she said with a smile, tears in her eyes. "Just bring him back to me, please."

"I will." He kissed her cheek. "I promise."

Turning, he bolted for the car and quickly slid into the driver's seat, pushing the key into the ignition and turning it. The car roared to life and he shifted it into drive before slamming on the gas.

The car practically flew out of the garage, Minato turning the wheel quickly to avoid slamming into the front of his own house. He raced for the gates, and was glad to have someone like Tsunade, because they were already opening, the woman obviously having alerted the guard via intercom to open them.

He sped out onto the street, turning the wheel sharply again and then slammed on the gas. If cops came after him, they could arrest him once he reached the school and got to hug his son. At least just once.

The blond man reached up with one hand, brushing the tears from his eyes, and struggling to breathe. This had to be real. This had to be real or he was going to lose it. If Naruto wasn't there, he was going to break down and never be able to fix himself.

Turning another corner sharply, he sped through a red light—he made sure there were no other cars, since he'd never reach Naruto if he was dead—and then turned another corner.

He could see the school entrance up ahead. His knuckles were turning white with the grip he held on the wheel. Slowing down only enough to make the turn into the school grounds, he slammed on the brakes once he was almost at the entrance, the car skidding forward a few feet due to inertia.

Without bothering to turn off the engine or even put it into park, Minato hurled open his door and scrambled out, racing for the entrance, his head whipping around frantically in an attempt to find Naruto.

When he was finally close enough to the stairs leading up to the school, he saw a single figure sitting on them, elbows resting on his thighs and hands clasped together, holding an item.

The figure stood, and Minato lost it. He bolted for his son, and practically tackled him into the stairs, hugging him so tightly, he was actually injuring himself. He buried one hand in Naruto's hair and sobbed.

He could feel the other's arms wrapping around him, hugging him back, and Minato sank to his knees, forcing his son with him. He held him as tightly as he could, worried that if he didn't, he would slip away from him again.

"Fuck," Minato whispered, clenching his hand in the other's hair. "Fuck, Naruto. Naruto, oh my God. Oh my God, you're here. I'm so sorry," he sobbed, trying to hold him even tighter, even though he didn't think it would even be possible. "I'm so sorry. I love you so much. I love you Naruto. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Naruto said, and hearing his voice just made Minato start crying harder.

He rocked back and forth slightly, still holding his son, still worried that if he let him go he would disappear.

"Dad, it's okay," the other insisted. "It's okay."

It didn't matter what he said. Minato wasn't going to let him go. Not for anything.

* * *

**October 14th, 01:01**

Tsunade stood at the front door, looking out towards the gates while wringing her hands together. She didn't know how long it had been since Minato had gone to get Naruto, but she knew for certain now that it had been real, and not some horrible trick to further break Minato.

When he'd first told her that Naruto was at the school, while she'd wanted to believe it with all her heart, she was worried that it might have just been the kidnappers trying to mess with him. Get him all excited and then have him arrive to no one.

Somehow, Minato taking this long felt like a good sign to her. It felt like it meant he'd arrived, had found Naruto, and was now killing him with how much he was hugging him. Which was fine as long as Naruto was alive enough for her to hug when they got back.

The air whooshed from her lungs and she took a step forward when she saw headlights pass through the gates. She clenched her hands together, hoping, _praying_ that when the car reached the front doors, Naruto would exit it.

She descended the three short steps to the drive while the car approached. It stopped a few feet away and the engine and lights turned off. Minato exited the car from the driver's side, and for a second, she felt her heart clench.

But then the passenger side door opened and the tears started. She rushed towards the car and grabbed Naruto before he'd even had the chance to exit the vehicle.

"Hey old hag," Naruto said, face buried in her chest, but she could feel him shaking, could tell how overwhelmed he was.

"You brat," she said, kissing the crown of his head, and laughing while simultaneously crying. "You stupid brat. I'm going to kill you for making me worry so much."

Naruto tightened his grip, hugging her harder, and she held him back just as fiercely.

Minato appeared beside them and hugged them both, his cheek resting against the top of his son's head. Tsunade felt one of Naruto's hands leave her, obviously to wrap around his father. If nothing else, she was glad for what this had done to their relationship.

"This is hardly the place for this," Tsunade forced out, pulling away and wiping at her tears. "Come inside, let's get you a change of clothes."

"And cake," Minato shot in, one arm around Naruto's shoulders, as if he were scared to let him go for even a second.

"There's cake?" Naruto asked, wiping at his own tears, but still grinning. "I like cake."

Tsunade laughed and took one of his hands, pulling him into the house, Minato following because of his own grip on his son.

"You change, I'll cut some cake."

"Okay," Naruto said. "Though someone should really call Kiba."

* * *

**October 14th, 01:15**

"Kiba."

The brunet groaned, rolling over and covering his head with his pillow, feeling in his gut that it was definitely much too early for someone to be prodding him awake.

"Kiba."

The prod was harder this time. Almost painful. That kind of prod where it pushes so hard that it leaves a lingering ache in its wake.

He just groaned again, which earned him being shaken almost violently.

"Kiba, wake up. It's Mr. Namikaze, he says it's urgent."

The brunet pulled the pillow off his head, rolling back towards his sister to grab the phone. He didn't know what the urgent news was, but if it was Minato at this hour, it was definitely important.

"Hello?" he mumbled into the phone, sitting up and rubbing his eyes while his sister left his bedroom, muttering about being his secretary.

_"Kiba, he's back."_

It took a few seconds for the words to register. Who was back? Why was this urgent? He'd been woken up to be told that Naruto was—

He leapt out of bed, tripping when his legs got caught in his blankets, and then scrambled after the phone when it slid away from him due to his fall. "What?! Naruto's back?!"

_"He's back."_ He could tell Minato had been crying. Probably still was. _"He's finally back. You can come over, or you can wait until tomorrow, whichever you—"_

"I will be right fucking there, even if I have to bike there. Do not lose him!"

He hung up and grabbed some jeans out of his closet, yanking them on quickly while rushing across the room to his intercom, almost tripping again due to where his pants were located on his legs.

"Kurenai," he called loudly, then waited a second while reaching for a shirt off the back of his chair. "Kurenai!"

_"Sir?"_ a sleepy voice asked.

"I need Kakuzu. Right now. He has to drive me somewhere. It's urgent."

_"I'll go wake him. Is everything all right?" _

"Fucking amazing!" Kiba grinned. "Just get me my driver!"

* * *

**October 14th, 01: 38**

While Naruto had known things would be a little different with his dad, it was still a bit weird for him to be pretty much on top of him. Minato had followed him to his room and stood outside the bathroom door while Naruto had changed. The second he'd emerged, he'd immediately hugged him again, and then kept his arm wrapped around him all the way down the stairs to the kitchen.

Now, he was sitting at the counter, eating cake, with both his father and Tsunade sitting so close to him on either side that he was actually starting to feel a little claustrophobic. But he didn't complain. He was happy to be home, and it felt nice to see his father and nanny/surrogate mother so relieved to see him home and well.

Minato kept leaning over to kiss his temple or give him one-armed hugs. Tsunade seemed to be trying to refrain, but she stayed close to him, asking every few bites if he was enjoying the cake, if he wanted more, if he needed milk.

"I'm good," he replied, smiling at Tsunade. His cheeks hurt from all the smiling. "I promise, I'm okay."

"I'm so glad you're home," Minato said, hugging him again, hand tight against his arm. "I'm so sorry."

"Dad, it's okay," he insisted for what felt like the millionth time. "It's okay, really. I'm okay."

"I just... I can't stop thinking about the videos. About what happened. What you went through."

"I'm okay, I promise," he said again, feeling like a recording. "I'm okay."

The front door slammed loudly and Naruto turned, confused. He barely had time to register someone was there before he was tackled back into the counter, the edge of the marble surface digging painfully into his back while his lungs were forced to expel whatever air they'd managed to get between his father's hugs.

It took him a second to realize it was Kiba, the other hugging him so tightly, he was almost rivalling his father.

The brunet pulled back, grinning, and then started punching Naruto repeatedly in the arm.

"Ow, ow, ow! Ow!" He tried to avoid the hits, then finally grabbed at Kiba's wrists. "Dude!"

"Don't you _ever_ fucking do that to me again!" Kiba shouted in his face, his grin gone, and his hands still attempting to injure him. "Not ever!"

"Kiba, stop!" Naruto insisted, but he still managed to smile, because he could tell how freaked out Kiba was. He had the same haunted look both his father and Tsunade had. The one that showed how scared they were that this was a dream. That they were just imagining he was home.

"Dude, I'm okay. I'm back, I promise," he said, Kiba breathing hard while staring at him before bringing one hand up to rub at his face, his shoulders shaking.

"I hate you. I fucking hate you."

Naruto laughed and leaned forward to hug him again, Kiba wrapping his arms around him and squeezing back tightly. He could feel his best friend shaking. Or maybe that was him. Maybe it was both, who knew?

"Fuck. Fuck, I'm so glad you're back. Fuck, dude."

"Me too," Naruto whispered, hugging him more tightly. "Me too."


	18. I Know A Guy

**A/N: So I am in a super happy mood today and got this done relatively quickly so, here, have another :) (Also PMers, sorry I haven't replied yet, I'm still working on a bunch of personal stuff, and I figure most of you want this up more than a reply |D But I promise I'll get to them asap!)  
**

**Disclaimer: I am so tired right now, I can't even pretend to be witty, which is good, since I'm not actually witty and just think I am |D Masashi Kishimoto owns Kiba, unfortunately for me. I'll settle for a cosplayer though. Seriously, I'll take any Kiba. Any. Kiba.  
**

**Ice Station and Rule Britannia line still belong to Matthew Reilly. Why have you not read this book yet? I am ashamed of you, reader. ASHAMED.**

* * *

**October 14th, 13:01**

Naruto had honestly thought that he was going to get woken up for school, as per usual. That he was going to be downstairs for breakfast, where his father would be ignoring him and then he'd leave and bitch about his horrible life to Kiba once he reached the other.

That didn't happen, though. First off, Kiba had never gone home, he was sleeping on the floor beside Naruto's bed on a blow-up mattress. Secondly, Naruto's bleary eyes caught the time off his digital clock, denoting it was one in the afternoon, and therefore well into the school day. And thirdly, his father was currently sleeping beside him.

Now normally, that'd be weird. Disturbing, even. But somehow, Naruto wasn't really that bothered by it. It actually even felt kind of nice that his dad was there, clearly proving that he cared about his son like nobody's business. If nothing else, Naruto was glad that this seemed to have changed his father.

Sure, there was still the possibility that he'd revert back to his old self within a couple of days, but for now, he'd relish it while he could. The guy was sorry, he'd proven it, and hard as it was going to be, Naruto was going to try and give him a chance.

Extricating himself from the bed, and wincing when his father let out a pitiful sound at having lost Naruto's presence, he inched over Kiba and headed for the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He walked over to the toilet, lifted the lid, and then stared down.

In a way, he wanted to sit. He wanted to revert back to how he'd been, because staying how he was would just remind him of what he'd lost, and he could feel the hole in his chest beginning to ache. But, if he reverted back, it was like he wouldn't even try. Like he was pretty much confirming that his father wouldn't make an attempt, weird as that seemed.

So, sighing, and trying not to be too upset, he pulled his manhood through the flap at the front of his boxers and relieved himself before pressing his lips together and then tucking himself back in.

"See?" he said to himself. "That wasn't so bad."

Sure, it wasn't bad, but it didn't hurt any less. He didn't know what he was going to do. How he was going to survive now that he'd had someone like Essyu and never would again. No one would be good enough. He felt he'd probably have to settle for Kiba—if he could convince the other to go gay—because he was probably the only person Naruto would be able to tolerate.

He heard tentative knocking at the bathroom door and quickly washed his hands before pulling it open. Minato offered him a tired smile, reaching in to pull Naruto closer so he could kiss his forehead. The blond didn't think he would ever get used to his dad being like this.

"Come downstairs with me. I wanna talk to you about a few things."

Wincing at the words, because they seemed foreboding, Naruto nodded and grabbed himself some sweats, pulling them on before following after his father, staring enviously at Kiba who was still drooling on the floor, sound asleep.

Shutting his bedroom door quietly, he followed his old man to the stairs, then descended them and entered the dining room. Nobody was there, but there were two covered plates sitting at Naruto and his father's usual spots. They both sat and Naruto laughed slightly when he found ramen. It was probably cold, but that didn't matter. Ramen was ramen.

"I wanted to discuss a few things with you," Minato said, using his knife to crack open a hard-boiled egg. Naruto noticed he had toast and two eggs on his plate. His dad was probably going to mash the eggs up and make some kind of sandwich.

"Okay," he said warily, knowing these conversations usually had to do with his company.

"The most important one, I guess, is what you'd like to say."

Naruto frowned. "Say?"

"I didn't make your kidnapping common knowledge. Ayame and Kiba are the only two people outside the staff who know what really happened. Even a lot of the staff were kept in the dark about it, I had to send most of them away on paid leave."

"Huh," Naruto said slowly, looking around. "I thought it was quieter in here." He grinned at Minato and the man smiled back.

"I sent Kotetsu away, as well, but him it was mostly for his own sanity."

"Shit!" Naruto blurted out. "I totally forgot about Kotetsu! Is he okay?!"

"He's fine." Minato smiled again. "I left a note for Tsunade before bed to call him when she woke up so he would know you were back. He's still employed, if you're worried about that, I just felt he needed some vacation time."

Naruto let out a slow breath and nodded, grinning. "I'm glad. He tried, you know. To stop me from getting into the car. I was just too dense."

"I never blamed him," Minato said, then paused. "Okay, I did a little bit, but I also knew it was irrational to blame him. Regardless, back on point, what would you like me to say? About what happened."

The teen frowned, chewing slowly on the noodles in his mouth, trying to think. "Kiba said... in one of the letters... He said you'd told everyone I was sick. Because if the police found out I was kidnapped, they'd screw things up."

"Essentially." Minato nodded. "Even now, I'm a little hesitant for the police to know, because I'm just... I'm worried they'd get you again as punishment." He reached out and gripped one of Naruto's wrists so tightly that the boy winced. "I can't lose you again."

"Then we can stick to the sick story." Naruto shrugged, the pressure on his wrist lessening. "I figure if you like... start telling people I'm getting better, and make it known I've improved in health, hold off on sending me back to school while you do that, maybe go back to work an—"

"No!" Minato's grip tightened again, eyes narrowing. "I'm not going back to work for at least another month."

Naruto stared at his father. "But... won't you go into withdrawal or something?" He winced after having said it, but honestly, he was surprised his dad hadn't gone to work during his kidnapping.

"Naruto, I am not going back to work until you and I go camping."

He perked up. "You wanna go camping?"

"I do." Minato smiled again, the pressure once more diminishing on the blond's wrist. "I was thinking I could buy a new cell phone that only Tsunade and Kiba would have the number to, just in case of an emergency, and then you and I can go camping in peace with some of your albums and maybe get some fishing equipment and just..." he trailed off, seeming to struggle for a word.

"Bond?" Naruto asked.

"Yes! Bond." Minato grinned so similarly to Naruto, it was like looking in a mirror. The teen grinned back at him.

"I like that plan. So okay, we can have you go around saying I'm getting a bit better, and then you can say the doctor recommended fresh air or something and we can go camping together for a while. Then when we get back, I'll go back to school and you can go back to work. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The older man nodded. "Well, those were really the two things I wanted to discuss and we discussed them in one so..."

Naruto could tell he was struggling for something else to say. A part of him wanted to make him work through a conversation on his own, but another part acknowledged that he was pretty bad at this and if he expected his dad to keep it up, he'd have to help him a little bit.

"So um, who's been running the company?" He didn't really want to talk about his dad's work, but he was kind of blanking on things to talk about. Realistically, he didn't even know if they had anything in common.

"Yamato. Tenzou Yamato, from the floor below. Very competent. Or I'm assuming so since he hasn't called me once for anything work-related since he's been put in charge." He smiled, then licked his lips. "Abrupt subject change but um, what's your favourite colour?"

Naruto couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. "Orange. Yours is blue, right?"

"It is," Minato replied, smiling. "And if I'm not mistaken, your new favourite author is Matthew Reilly."

The name made all the air rush from Naruto's chest and he tried not to wince. It just reminded him of Essyu, but he was going to have to accept that a lot of things were going to remind him of the other for a long time. He'd just have to learn to work through the pain. "He is. Essyu read me his books while I was there. The guy's got serious talent."

Minato watched him for a second, chewing slowly, then set his sandwich down and flattened his hands on the table, seeming to try and think of how to word something. "Naruto... if you want to talk about... about what happened... even if it's not to me, I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Thanks." He smiled. "I'll talk about it eventually just... not right now. I'd rather just... focus on us."

His dad smiled and nodded, leaning back. "Understood. Today, we shall focus on us."

Naruto grinned, thinking that would be hard once Kiba woke up.

* * *

**October 17th, 15:17**

"You've been quiet."

Naruto glanced over at his friend, gaze shifting away from the water lapping against the side of the boat. Kiba was still looking out at the water, as if not wanting to acknowledge he'd said anything, but Naruto could tell his fists were clenched and he had the beginnings of a frown on his face.

He turned to look back out at the water, ignoring Hana and her boyfriend arguing behind them.

"I'm not allowed to be quiet?"

He knew what Kiba meant, but he didn't know what else to say. Considering he knew his dad was having a shit fit right now because Kiba had kidnapped him and taken him out on a boat, he was a little more concerned with his father's sanity than anything else. Not to say he wasn't glad for some breathing room, but he'd known being with his best friend was going to be a bad idea for him.

Kiba knew him too well.

"Something happened," the brunet said, pretty much confirming Naruto's thoughts. "You're not you anymore. You're not necessarily different in a bad way, but you're different."

He glanced over at Naruto and the blond stared at the water for another second before pulling off his shirt. "Let's go swimming."

Moving to the end of the boat, he tossed his shirt onto one of the chairs and then ducked under the bar that led to a small ladder. He climbed down a little then jumped into the water, the cold of it slamming into him like a two-ton truck. When he surfaced, his muscles were all tensed and he felt like his lungs were collapsing in on themselves, he was so cold.

"Are you crazy?!" Kiba yelled from the ladder, half-down it and holding onto the railing with one hand. "It's October! Get the fuck out of the water, moron!"

"You wanted to talk?" Naruto asked, his teeth chattering. "I'm not doing it where others can hear."

Kiba stared at him, looked behind himself, cursed colourfully, and took off his shirt. Then he paused and pulled it back on, as if deciding the extra weight was worth the extra warmth. Wincing, the brunet took a deep breath and jumped into the water.

When he surfaced, he was splashing around like a dog who couldn't swim. "Oh, fuck me! Fuck me, Jesus! Oh God, that's cold!"

"Stop being a baby," Naruto insisted with a grin, trying to force his body to get used to the cold and paddling backwards a little bit. Kiba continued cursing while he followed, the two of them treading water a little ways from the boat, but still close enough that if a shark or something appeared, they'd have time to get back to it.

"What happened to your back?" Kiba asked, spitting water out.

Naruto's head snapped back, and he suddenly felt uncomfortable. He'd forgotten about getting whipped. He was sure the wounds had healed by now, but they must have still been scabbing over. That or they'd scarred, otherwise Kiba wouldn't have asked.

"You got whipped or something, didn't you?" Kiba asked in a lower voice. "The video... the first one I saw, you were talking and you said something about that. They whipped you, didn't they?"

"Only Ayuu did." Naruto was suddenly rethinking his idea. "Ayuu was the dick. Essyu was nice."

"How can a kidnapper be _nice_?" the brunet demanded. "They fucking _kidnapped_ you. There's nothing nice about that."

"He didn't want to." Naruto winced, turning to look anywhere but at his friend. "They were brothers, and Ayuu was a dick, and Essyu knew he would _be_ a dick. So he agreed to go along with it to make sure his brother didn't go too far."

"Wow," Kiba said dryly, "real humanitarian, that guy."

"He was nice," Naruto snapped angrily, feeling his defences rising. "He was the reason I got over a phobia I used to have, and he was probably the only reason I didn't die of starvation, or thirst, or _boredom_ and that I didn't piss myself and end up sleeping on a cold floor!"

Kiba stared at him for a long while, a mix of horror and pity in his eyes. "Oh no."

"What?" Naruto snapped.

"Oh no, dude, please tell me you didn't."

The blond felt his defences rising even more, his heart rate accelerating. "Didn't what?"

"You totally fell for him, didn't you?"

This was why he'd had to tell Kiba, because he'd known the other would've found out eventually anyway. That was the problem with knowing each other too well, secrets were hard to keep.

He wanted to say something, to defend himself, or explain, or _something_, but he couldn't make his mouth cooperate. The words weren't coming, and realistically, he knew that were their roles reversed, and he was in Kiba's shoes, he would have flipped if his moron of a best friend had fallen for someone who'd kidnapped him.

His silence obviously informed Kiba that his suspicions were right, and the brunet rubbed his face with one hand, the other still keeping him afloat.

"Oh my God, I can't believe this."

"You don't get it," Naruto whispered. "He wasn't like Ayuu. He was different."

"Naruto," Kiba let his hand fall, "the guy _kidnapped_ you! How do you even know he felt the same way?"

"Trust me, he did."

"How do you know he wasn't just after the money?" Kiba insisted. "You said so yourself, if not for him, you wouldn't still be alive. Well without you being alive, he wouldn't get any money, did you ever think of that?"

The ache in Naruto's chest informed him that, no, he hadn't thought of that. It had never really occurred to him that maybe Essyu had just been saying all those things so that he could get some free sex. And he kept him happy so that he didn't die and they could get their money.

But still... a part of him didn't believe that. The way Essyu spoke to him, the way they'd interacted... that wasn't about money. He cared for him, and Naruto knew that. He _knew_ it.

"It wasn't like that," Naruto insisted, though his voice lacked the conviction he'd thought it would have when having this conversation with Kiba. "You don't understand."

"Naruto, I'm not trying to be a dick, but you need to understand something." Kiba swam a little closer to him. "You didn't mean anything to him. And even if you did, even if you truly, honestly love him and he does you, you're never going to see him again. Ever. This isn't healthy, and you're going to have to get over him."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have my problem," Naruto snapped, scowling. "The only person aside from Essyu I'd ever consider being with is _you_!"

Kiba sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head. "Naruto—"

"Stop saying my name like that!" he snapped angrily, shoving past Kiba and swimming back to the boat. "Don't you think I know I'll never see him again? You're meant to be helping me feel better, not making it worse!"

He climbed back onto the boat, his trunks sliding down on his hips and for once in his life, he didn't frantically reach down to pull them back up. He could hear Kiba calling after him, the other struggling to pull himself out of the water, but he was halfway across the boat before Kiba's hand closed around his arm and yanked him back.

"What do you want me to say, Naruto? That I'm sure he loved you? That I'm sure somehow you'll magically be able to see each other again? That I can't wait to meet the guy who fucking _hurt_ my best friend?!" His hand tightened almost painfully. "I can't say those things, Naruto. You know me better than that. I'm not going to say things that have no meaning; I'm not going to lie. I'm happy he's gone. I'm happy the fucker is never going to see you again. He doesn't deserve to see you again after what he did."

Naruto wrenched his arm free. "What, keep me alive?!" he shouted in Kiba's face. "Do you have any idea how many times Ayuu shoved a gun into my mouth?! How many bullets would be in my head right now if Essyu hadn't been there?!"

"Is everything okay?"

Both of them whipped around, Hana standing near the end of the deck, eying them both with concern.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but..."

"Just a movie we're doing for school," Kiba muttered. "Drama class. We were just rehearsing."

Naruto didn't know that Hana bought it, but she pressed her lip together and disappeared. Naruto was grateful. Hana was very much like her mother, but she at least knew when to back off and give her brother some space. Which was a good thing since right now, he and Naruto had a lot to talk about.

"Look," Kiba said in a lower voice. "I didn't mean to make you get all defensive, but dude... You're never gonna see him again." Kiba let his arm go and crossed his own, shifting his weight. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you any good news on this. You're never seeing him again, and no amount of you snapping at me is going to change that. He's gone, dude. And he's not coming back."

* * *

**October 23rd, 22:44**

Sasuke scowled angrily at the book in his hand, trying for the millionth time to get into it before tossing it angrily across the room and glaring at his ceiling, resisting the urge to get up and just read fucking Matthew Reilly.

Ever since sending Naruto home, he hadn't been able to bring himself to read any of his favourite author's books. Because it reminded him too much of Naruto. _Everything_ reminded him of Naruto. He'd even driven past the other's house a few times, half-hoping he would catch a glimpse of him, and half-hoping he wouldn't, much to Itachi's annoyance since he wasn't supposed to be driving with one hand.

It was hard feeling like this. He felt like a piece of him was missing. Like someone had reached inside his very being and ripped a part of him away, and he was never going to get it back. And it sucked.

Itachi seemed happier, though. Sasuke spent most of his days holed up in his room, but Itachi was always doing things. He'd even managed to start up the company again. It had only been two weeks, so nothing major had really happened, but knowing his brother, it would shoot skyward in no time, and they'd be set, just like Itachi wanted.

And what about what Sasuke wanted? The raven scowled angrily, still resisting the urge to stand and grab his book. He was just pissed because all Itachi ever wanted was money, and he had it. All Sasuke wanted was Naruto, and he was never going to have him.

His bedroom door opened and he turned to scowl at his brother, who leaned against the doorframe. For once, he was eating a sandwich. That was a relief because if it had been cereal, he was liable to jerk to his feet and drown his brother in the bowl.

"Minato was on the news tonight," Itachi said making Sasuke scowl more. "He announced his son was feeling better, and that the doctors thought he was out of danger, but that he needed some fresh air so they were going to go away for a while."

Sasuke tried not to wince. Naruto was going away? Not that he'd been seeing him or anything but he'd kind of liked knowing the other was around. That he could possibly see him one day. But if he was leaving, he wouldn't ever see him again.

"You must be happy," Sasuke muttered, though he tried not to sound as upset as he felt. "Minato's not making the kidnapping known."

"Indeed." Itachi eyed him for a second longer, then started closing his door. "Stop brooding, Sasuke. He was only a person."

The door shut and the younger Uchiha scowled angrily.

"You're a heartless son of a bitch," Sasuke snapped, rolling over so his back was to the door and cradling his broken arm to his chest. "What the fuck would you know?"

* * *

**October 25th, 08:13**

Naruto dumped his sleeping bag and large rucksack on the dirt ground and bolted towards the edge of their campsite until he had a clear, unobstructed view of the lake. Grinning from ear to ear, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, relishing the smell of fresh air. The only thing that made this entire trip even more perfect was the fact that they only had one cell phone with two numbers in it, and he was the one in charge of keeping it.

His dad wanted nothing to do with it.

And shockingly, he'd kept his promise. So far, it had been eleven days! Eleven whole days since he'd been back, and not once had his father gone to the office, or even worked from home. He'd spent all his time with Naruto, and when Naruto hadn't been there, he'd spent most of his time calling around trying to find him.

Scary, and overprotective, but considering what had happened, he could afford to cut his father some slack. Especially since they were fucking _camping_ right now! He'd never imagined he'd live to see the day where his father would willingly go camping with him. Minato was a total city boy, nature scared him. So seeing him doing this was amazing.

Naruto turned around after having stared out at the lake for some time, having heard his father grumbling, and saw him trying to put together the tent. Letting out a laugh, he hurried back over to help him, pulling a few things from the older man's hands and beginning to set everything up while Minato took a step back and watched.

"You know, considering technology today, you'd think they'd have created something that will build your tent for you."

"I'm sure they have," Naruto insisted, continuing to work, "but that defeats the whole purpose of _real_ camping. The point of this activity is to not rely on things we use when we're at home, like technology. Kiba and I don't even bring our PSPs or anything when we come camping. We just play cards and hang out and go swimming and stuff."

"Well, I had another idea..."

Naruto frowned and turned to glance at his father, who was rummaging through his bag. When he pulled out one of the blond's photo albums, Naruto tried not to groan.

"Dad, I told you that you didn't have to bring that. I know you went through it with Tsunade already."

"I know I did, too. But I wanted to go through it with you." Minato set it down on the picnic table the site provided them with and sat down. "We don't have to do it tonight, or tomorrow, or even next week. I just want us to do it before we head home, all right?"

The teen finished tying off one end of the tent and stood, rubbing the back of his head and muttering that they would, kicking at the ground slightly. Why was it that two perfect things couldn't co-exist? Why couldn't he have this amazing father _and_ Essyu? Why was it just one or the other?

He and Kiba weren't even speaking right now. Considering how long he'd been kidnapped, Naruto thought it would be weird that they were fighting, but it wasn't really. Naruto was pissed at him for what he'd said about Essyu, and Kiba was pissed at him for being pissed to begin with. But Kiba didn't understand.

And honestly, Naruto didn't think anyone would ever understand.

He tried not to dwell on it, though. He was out in the wilderness with his father, just the two of them. And they would be here for almost two weeks. So he was excited, and he was happy, and even if he knew he would never find anyone like Essyu ever again, he was glad he at least gained two good things out of this.

Getting over his phobia, and a relationship with his father.

Couldn't really get any better than that.

* * *

**November 11th, 08:47**

Sasuke stood leaning back against his car, cigarette held loosely in one hand and smoke escaping freely from between his lips. He let his hand lower slightly, thumb flicking across the end of the cigarette to rid it of the ash-buildup before bringing it back to his lips, inhaling before even having fully exhaled.

His eyes narrowed while watching all the cars enter. All the different drivers dropping off the rich little shits who went to a school so prestigious they didn't even know that not all schools included a catering service for their lunch meals and had giant ice rinks in the basement.

How Naruto went to a school like this and ended up how he had was beyond his comprehension, but he was glad that the blond hadn't been a total pretentious dick like these kids all appeared to be. Every time one of the girls turned to look his way, he felt like vomiting. Especially when he could tell they were enjoying the view.

Shifting against his car once more, he pulled the last of his cigarette into his lungs and then tossed the butt away, turning around to get back into his car and figuring Naruto wasn't coming in today, either.

He'd been trying to wait for the blond to return to school so he could at least _see_ him, but so far, nothing. Every day he came, he just got more and more depressed. And it was hard to continue doing this without getting caught since Itachi had begun to notice his absence more and more often.

Sighing and starting his car with his injured arm resting awkwardly in his lap, he waited for the stupid limo in front of him to pull away so he could leave, and froze.

Stepping out of the limo, behind a brown-haired retard with tattoos on his face, was a teenager with the blondest hair Sasuke had ever seen. His hand tightened against the wheel and he watched the teen head towards the school steps, slowly climbing them and laughing.

Then, he paused and turned, as if having heard something, scanning the area. Sasuke let out a slow sigh of relief at finally having seen the blond after what felt like forever. It hadn't even been a month—well, just shy of a month, to be fair—and he was in so much withdrawal from him it was ridiculous.

He used to smoke a lot before, but now he was just a fucking chimney. Itachi was complaining about all the money he was spending, though why he complained, Sasuke didn't know, since his fuckhead of a brother was making a ridiculous amount of money already after only one month. He'd even been on the news recently.

Sasuke had avoided that fate, and had even told Itachi this was too much too quickly, but his brother had ignored him. Of course, he also refused to believe that Naruto might possibly stumble upon the news story and recognize his voice, but to be fair, they both knew the blond teen wasn't interested in anything that had to do with his father's company, so there was no reason for him to tune in to find out about Itachi's company.

Not wanting to waste his short time with Naruto by thinking of his brother, Sasuke drank in the sight of him like a man dying of thirst, all the way until the other disappeared into the school, having been coaxed up the stairs by his friend.

Rubbing his face with his uninjured hand and letting out a shaky breath, Sasuke sped out of the parking lot, almost taking out another limo on its way towards the front, and really not caring.

Naruto was already inside the school. Any other car he hit, any passengers he may accidentally kill or injure, it wouldn't bother him. He already knew Naruto was safe.

* * *

**November 11th, 08:53**

"That's impossible!" Kiba insisted, climbing out of the car and turning to look in at Naruto. "There's no way they could pull that off."

"Hey, I'm just telling you what I heard," Naruto insisted, following after his friend and waving goodbye to Kakuzu.

After returning home from his trip with his father, Kiba had shown up at his house and basically acted as if nothing had happened. While it wasn't exactly Naruto's preferred method of handling things, he accepted that his friend didn't know how to apologize and just wanted to put this behind them, so he acted as if nothing had happened, too.

Then came the kicker: Minato wanted to get him a bodyguard. Naruto was vehemently against it. Not only would it make him feel like he thought he was the shit and needed one, but he also didn't want anyone to realize there was a reason behind why he suddenly had someone watching him after having "gotten sick."

The compromise they'd come up with for the moment was that he went to school with Kiba. Realistically, he thought that was stupid because if anyone was gonna kidnap him, they would have no problem adding Kiba to the mix. Double the reward money.

He didn't mention that to his dad though. He just agreed and that was how he found himself heading for the front of the school with Kiba. Just when he started climbing the steps, a smell caught his attention and he froze, his body recognizing it before his mind did.

It was cigarette smoke, but it was from a specific brand of cigarettes. While he knew, of course, that hundreds, if not thousands of people in this city probably smoked the same brand of cigarettes as Essyu, he couldn't help but turn around and scan the area. He knew he'd never recognize Essyu even if his eyes stopped right on him, but he just wanted to know if he was there. Wanted some kind of sign that he actually cared about him, and was watching him like he'd said he would be.

"Dude, what's with you?" Kiba grabbed at his arm and tugged, and Naruto almost snapped at him to back off. "Your fangirls are gonna have a field day when they see you if we're not quick, come on!"

Those words snapped him back to the present and, regretfully, he turned back towards the school and continued up the stairs.

_It probably wasn't him, anyway,_ he thought with a wince. That would just be too perfect. Too convenient. Right?

Besides, Kiba was probably right. For all he knew, Essyu was in fucking Bali or Switzerland or something right now, enjoying a margarita and celebrating his newfound wealth with Ayuu.

And that was all right with Naruto.

Really, that was all right with him.

His hands clenched.

* * *

**December 1st, 01:12**

Sasuke silently closed the front door of the house Itachi had bought for them the previous week, inching around boxes and half unpacked crates towards the stairs and slowly climbing up them. He eased down the corridor silently—so silently he probably would've made even Itachi proud—and opened his bedroom door.

Entering his room, he shut the door just as silently, then let out a slow, relieved sigh and turned on his light. He spun to face his bed, pulling his coat off, and promptly had a heart-attack when he found Itachi sitting on it, elbows resting on his thighs and hands clasped in front of his mouth.

"Where were you?"

Sasuke bristled at the tone. He wasn't fucking _five_! "Out."

"I gathered. Where?"

"Out," he repeated, continuing to pull off his coat, wincing slightly when his casted arm twinged in protest.

Tossing his coat onto his chair, he started to turn back to Itachi when his uninjured arm was grabbed and he was wrenched around roughly. Itachi's face hovered inches above his own.

"Do not fuck this up, little brother. We have come too far for you to screw it all up because of a stupid rich asshole who wouldn't have given you the time of day before his life depended on you."

Sasuke did his best not to wince. Those words had been escaping Itachi's mouth a lot lately, and they hurt more and more each time he spoke them, because a part of him truly wondered if Naruto had ever given a shit about him, or if it had all been a means for him to survive.

Scowling angrily at his brother, he forced himself not to jerk back when Itachi caressed the side of his face endearingly.

"I'm sending you away."

"What?!" Sasuke exploded, slapping his brother's hand away angrily.

"It's what's best for you, Sasuke. You're not going to stop thinking about him while you're here. I'm going to send you to boarding school somewhere else. You start in January, I've already done all the paperwork."

"You can't just do this!" Sasuke shouted at him, losing his patience. He knew getting on Itachi's bad side was dangerous, especially considering the stress he was under, but he couldn't help it. "That's not fair!"

"I'd have thought by now, Sasuke, that you would have noticed nothing in life is truly _fair_." Itachi's eyes narrowed. "You're leaving in January. You have until then to get your dose of Naruto and then you're not going to be seeing him again."

"You can't—" Sasuke cut off when Itachi's hand shot out, gripping his face tightly, fingers digging into his cheeks.

"Do not test me, little brother. You are going, and that is final. So go follow your little boytoy all you want until then, but do not get seen, and do not get caught, or you'll wish you'd left for this school much sooner."

Sasuke's head was thrust backwards, Itachi straightening out his shirt before turning and exiting the room, the younger teen's hand moving up to massage his jaw. He scowled angrily at his door, and then shifted his gaze to the floor.

He only had one more month to watch Naruto. Just one month to take him in before he would probably lose him forever. By the time he got back, he would probably have moved on. Which, of course, would realistically be best but the thought of Naruto moving on really didn't sit well with him.

"Hn," he muttered to himself before grabbing his pack of cigarettes and heading for the door. If he only had a numbered amount of days left with Naruto, he was going to take advantage of all of them.

* * *

**December 12th, 13:04**

_Rule Britannia, Scarecrow,_ Naruto thought to himself, walking quickly down the corridor towards the bathroom. _Fuck Britannia. Rule Britannia, Scarecrow. Fuck Britannia. Rule Britannia, Scarecrow. Fuck Britannia._

He pushed into the bathroom and walked up to one of the urinals, pulling his fly down and relieving himself while continuing to repeat the words over and over again.

When he turned to wash his hands, he jumped when he saw his bodyguard standing in the doorway, having appeared without a sound. Truthfully, it bothered him, because he reminded him a lot of Ayuu in terms of stealth. But his voice was different and this guy was really nice so he knew for a fact it wasn't him.

"You say that a lot, you know," he informed him, watching Naruto move to wash his hands in the sink.

"Say what?"

"That rule Britania thing."

Naruto tensed, not having realized he'd been saying it aloud. Shit, had he _always_ been saying it aloud? He hadn't even noticed. It was just his own personal means of keeping things in balance in his head, because he felt like he was going insane without Essyu.

Not that he could talk to anyone about it because guys weren't meant to discuss their feelings, anyway, and Kiba had made it abundantly clear he wasn't going to be very supportive about this whole thing.

"It's from my favourite book," he muttered, moving to grab some paper towels to dry his hands, and finding some being extended towards him. "Thanks."

"You should talk to someone, you know." The older man crossed his arms, still watching him with his mismatched eyes. "Your father's getting worried."

"I'm fine, Kakashi," the blond muttered, pushing past him out the door. The other man followed him.

"I believe you, you know. That you're fine. But your father is slowly going insane with worry over your reluctance to discuss this with anyone. I don't know what happened when you were where you were," the other said, avoiding using the word "kidnapped" since they were still at school, "but even if it wasn't traumatic for you, it still changed you and you should discuss it with someone."

"I tried, he blew me off," Naruto muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I don't think Kiba counts. He's a little dense."

If that statement weren't true, Naruto would have flown to his best friend's defence. As it was, he just ignored him and entered his classroom once more, Kakashi disappearing just as silently as he'd appeared.

"You okay?" Kiba inquired when Naruto took a seat in front of him once more.

"Good," he replied automatically, fingering the edge of his notebook absently. He had a few random quotes from _Ice Station_ at the back of it, and he was trying his best not to flip there to re-read them. Not that he needed to, since he pretty much knew the book by heart. The spine was looking a little worse for wear, and he felt he'd have to buy a new one or something before it disintegrated in his hands.

But he didn't want a new one. Essyu wasn't the one who'd be giving it to him. It meant less if it wasn't from Essyu. But still, his copy was looking a bit worse for wear, so he'd need a new one.

The bell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he realized he'd spent the end of the lesson thinking about Essyu and his book. Shaking his head with a sigh and packing away his belongings, he stood and threw his bag over his shoulder when someone grabbed his arm.

Letting out a startled shout when he was forcibly dragged from the room and down the corridor, he turned to see what Kakashi was doing before looking back at his best friend, wondering what _he_ was doing.

"Um, where are we going?"

Kiba didn't answer. He just continued to drag him all the way down the corridor until they reached one of the janitor closets that was usually associated with couples being risque. He cocked an eyebrow, Kiba pulling the door open and thumbing out the couple inside who'd been about to start making out.

The girl inside eyed them with shock, but a disgusted look from Kiba shot that thought down pretty quick. That was kind of a disappointment to Naruto. He'd thought maybe Kiba would turn gay just to get him to stop moping.

Once they were inside, the brunet flicked on the light and stared Naruto down. Cocking a pale eyebrow, the blond looked around—he'd never actually been in there, he was interested—and then focussed back on his friend.

"What are we doing in the make-out closet?"

"Seeing you come in here with me would mean people would leave us alone," Kiba insisted, leaning closer.

Naruto's heart slammed into his throat and he took a step back. "What are we doing in here?"

"Will you relax? I'm not going to suck your face," Kiba snapped, probably much harsher than he'd intended before rubbing absently at his arm. "If I help you, will you stop?"

Naruto blinked. "Okay, now I'm _really_ confused."

"When aren't you?" Kiba joked with a half smile, but it soon fell away and he continued rubbing at his arm. "I know a guy. Well, really, Hana knows a guy who can, you know, track people. Find out where he is."

The blond's heart leapt into his throat again, this time, for another reason. "Essyu?"

"I'm not making any promises," Kiba warned, moving his hand to rub the back of his head, now. "I'm just saying that... you've changed and I'm tired of your moping. So if I help you find this guy, you have to promise me that you're not going to have a mental breakdown if you find out he didn't care."

Wincing at that, Naruto scowled at the floor. He honestly didn't think that would happen, he and Essyu had been too close, but the constant reminder from Kiba really wasn't helping him feel confident about his own convictions.

Letting out a slow breath, he looked up at his friend, and nodded. "Okay. I promise. We find him, and I'll go back to how I was before. I swear."

"You know," a voice said, making both boys jump and glance at the closed closet door. "You might want to choose a more solitary place to have a conversation like that."

The door eased open and Kakashi peeked in, smiling brightly, his eyes curving upwards.

"You're his bodyguard, not his shadow," Kiba said dryly.

"I don't see the distinction," Kakashi replied.

"It's called privacy."

"A luxury Naruto no longer has." The older man eased into the closet as well, closing the door and leaning back against it. "You really want to find this 'host' of yours?" he asked the blond. "Why?"

"Revenge," Kiba blurted out, but the look he got for that one proved the other didn't believe him.

Naruto shrugged, leaning back against one of the shelves. "Because as horrible as the entire ordeal was sometimes, it was also probably the best thing that ever happened to me."

Kakashi stared at him for a second, then looked at Kiba. "Him, I believe," he said, motioning Naruto. Then he pointed at the brunet. "You, on the other hand, could use some lessons in lying."

Kiba scowled at him but just crossed his arms, leaning back against some shelving, as well. "So, what are you gonna do now? Tell his dad?"

"No." Kakashi smiled. "I'm only here to keep him safe. What he chooses to do is his own business." The bodyguard reached into his back pocket and pulled out a book, which he promptly flipped open and began to read, opening the closet door and exiting it into the corridor. "Whatever you two choose to do, just be aware I won't be far behind."

"So wait, you're not gonna tell my dad?" Naruto asked, completely dumbfounded.

"If you want to find this person, that's your choice." Kakashi shrugged, eyes still on his book. "I'm only here to keep you safe. What you do with your own time is up to you."

The blond watched his bodyguard disappear down the corridor, bit the inside of his cheek, then turned to Kiba.

"Who's this guy your sister knows?"

* * *

**December 16th, 14:52**

"You're fucking kidding me," snapped an angry voice, fingers tapping rapidly on a keyboard and cigarette dangling between pale lips. "That's fucking it? That's all I've fucking got to go on? That's fucking _nothing_."

Naruto scowled slightly at the man, casting a glance at Kiba before focussing on him once more, shifting awkwardly in his seat. He'd never met anyone who swore as much as the blond-haired man sitting in front of him, and considering he was friends with Kiba, that was saying something.

"Look, I know it's not much to go on—"

"Are you fucking serious?" the man demanded, fingers stilling in their typing so he could twist around in his chair and glare at Kiba. "That's fucking nothing to go on. You might as well ask me to find a fucking needle in a haystack the size of the Empire State building."

"Hana said you could do this," the brunet insisted angrily. "She said you were the best at this, and that you could find anyone. Well, we're here to find someone, so I don't see what the problem is."

"You're fucking kidding me, kid." With a shake of his head, the man turned back to his computer and started typing again. "Yo, asswipe," he shouted loudly.

"What?" came a lazy reply from a room down the corridor.

"Seventeen, dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin, condescending smirk, sexy voice, out of school, broken arm, older brother, beef with Minato Namikaze."

There was a short pause. "You're joking, right?"

"Come on, Hidan," Kiba insisted, inching his chair closer to the man. Naruto thought that was kind of brave of him, but didn't mention it. He didn't want to aggravate either Kiba _or_ the guy seated before them. "It's important. We're willing to wait as long as it takes."

Naruto didn't know he could _last_ as long as it might take, but it beat sitting on his ass doing nothing.

Hidan turned in his chair once more, facing them, and eying them both with interest. "With that little to go on… It'll take a long time. Weeks, months even. Maybe years. That'll get expensive."

"We'll pay," Naruto blurted out. Really, he'd be footing most of the bill, but Kiba had generously agreed to chip in, despite the blond not needing him to. He had the money, but it was nice his friend wanted to help.

Hidan stared at him for a long while, his arms crossed, then sighed and turned back to his computer. "When did you say you were let out again?"

Naruto winced, still not sure it was a good idea that he'd admitted to this man that he had been kidnapped. Kiba had insisted, and apparently, these people were good at keeping secrets. He just hoped his friend was right.

"October fourteenth, at midnight."

"Fucking October," the man muttered, fingers flying across the keyboard. "About a half hour from your school, you said. And it was a house."

"Well, it had one floor and the basement," Naruto said, trying his best to be as detailed as possible, which wasn't easy, considering.

"Okay."

They were all silent for a few minutes, the man's fingers flying across the keyboard, his cigarette still dangling between his lips. Naruto didn't know what he was doing, or why the house itself was even important, but he trusted this Hidan person knew what he was doing and let him work.

Kiba had pulled out his phone and was playing Solitaire on it. Naruto was too anxious to do anything other than watch the man at his computer.

"Fifty-two," he finally said ten minutes later.

"What?" Kiba asked, glancing up.

Hidan turned in his chair, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray on the edge of his desk, exhaling the smoke upwards. "There were fifty-two houses put up for rent for November within half an hour's drive from your school. Provided your fucking guys actually left in November, this might be possible." He turned back to his computer, typing again. "But it'll take time."

"That's okay," Naruto said. "I'll wait."

"You fucking sure you wanna do this, kid?" Hidan asked, glancing over his shoulder at Naruto.

"Yes," the blond replied.

"Your funeral," was his response. "Yo, asswipe!"

"What?" the lazy voice asked once more from down the hall.

"Get your fucking ass out here and help me! I'm not gonna let you sit this one out, I haven't got the fucking patience for this bullshit."

"Thanks, Hidan," Kiba said, standing. "Really. I appreciate your help."

"Just keep the money coming, Inuzuka, and I'll find your friend's guy." Hidan turned back to them. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

Naruto did, too.

* * *

**December 30th, 17:52**

Sasuke stood in line for security, a scowl on his face and his arms crossed over his chest, like a child refusing to talk to their parent until they got their way. And in some respects, Sasuke _was_ trying to get his way, despite knowing he never would. This was Itachi, after all. How the hell was he going to convince him not to make him leave?

"I hate you."

"You say that as if it's the first time you've ever uttered those words to me," the older Uchiha said, standing beside him. He couldn't pass through security without a ticket, but Sasuke knew he was there to make sure he actually got on the stupid plane.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Sasuke hissed angrily, fingers itching for a cigarette.

"Your obsession has become unhealthy," was his brother's reply. "I can't afford to have you blow everything up in my face."

"Because it's all about you," Sasuke snapped, clenching his teeth.

"This is what I'm talking about," Itachi replied simply. "You never would have been like this before Naruto. You were obedient, and silent. And stoic. Now, I feel like he's still here, continuously rubbing me the wrong way." Itachi leaned down closer to him, glaring. "You're making me want to pull out a gun."

"Please do," Sasuke said evenly. "Then you'll get arrested and I can go home."

Itachi stared at him for a second and then straightened, shuffling forward with all the other people when the line moved. "He's not going to be waiting for you, Sasuke."

"You don't know that."

"I know he's a rich little boy who always gets what he wants." Itachi's face hardened while he spoke. "And I know he'd turn us in the second you exposed us."

"And I know he wouldn't, but my word means less than nothing to you." He reached the front of the line and begrudgingly handed over his ticket. The man standing before him checked it, then handed it back and nodded him through. Sasuke shoved past him, away from his brother, without a backwards glance.

"I'll see you in June, little brother."

"Only if I don't find my way home before then," Sasuke muttered to himself, throwing his bag angrily onto the conveyer for the security cameras to scan it.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked through the metal detector and then snatched his bag up once it came through, then stalked off towards his gate, resisting the urge to stomp since that would entice people to come over and make sure he was okay.

Tossing his bag angrily onto one of the chairs in the gate area, he winced when his arm twinged and fell down beside his belongings, massaging at the skin around the cast he still wore. He was told it would be coming off sometime in March or April, but truthfully, he felt it could come off now. It only ever hurt when he did something stupid with it, but otherwise, he pretty much forgot he was even wearing a cast.

Except when it itched. Fuck, did it ever itch!

Besides, it was just a cruel, agonizing reminder of what he wanted and couldn't have. Naruto had written on this cast, and he felt mocked every time he looked down and saw the other's messy scrawl.

Growling, he covered it with his free hand and turned to glare angrily out the window. He could hear the news in the background, but for the most part, he ignored it and continued staring at the planes taking off and landing in the distance.

When he heard a familiar name, though, he did turn to look at the closest television, but that just made him feel worse, because it showed Naruto hanging out with the Inuzuka heir—Kiba, Sasuke supposed. He often saw the two of them together, especially lately. With some creepy-looking blond guy who seemed to have a fascination for cutting himself.

Sasuke didn't get the appeal. They always seemed to be looking for something, though. He supposed whatever it was, Naruto would find it eventually. It made him wonder if he'd lost something.

And then it reminded him that he wasn't supposed to be thinking of Naruto and he resolutely turned to glare out the window again, ignoring the blond's voice on the television behind him, expressing his fears with relation to his illness, and how even though it had been terrifying, it was the best time of his life because it helped him learn a lot about himself and had brought him and his father closer.

Sasuke had noticed that during his outings to see Naruto. That the older man seemed to be home more, and always near Naruto as often as he could. As guilty as he still felt for having taken him away like he had, he was thankful for it because it looked like things had really worked out for Naruto and his father.

"Well, at least one good thing came out of this," he muttered to himself.

"Can you talk to yourself a little more quietly?"

The raven jumped, turning to look at the other teen who'd taken a seat beside him. He hadn't even noticed his arrival, which made sense since he was too busy brooding and angsting over no longer being able to see Naruto.

"Maybe you should move elsewhere if my talking to myself annoys you," Sasuke replied, turning to look out the window again.

That statement was followed by a sigh from the boy beside him. "So troublesome. I really hope you're at the opposite end of the plane."

"Says the guy who sat down beside me."

Sasuke turned back to the other, who had one previously closed eye peeked open to look at him, both hands behind his head as if he were ready to take a nap.

"This place smells like old people."

Sasuke smirked. "It's a perpetual smell."

"Hm." The other teen closed his eye again. "I'm Shikamaru, by the way. I'm guessing if you're headed to the same place as me, and you look about as happy as I do, I'm going to assume you're getting carted off to boarding school, too. What'd you do, steal a car?"

"Something like that." Sasuke tried to hide his shock at the other having guessed where he was headed, but looking around, he noticed they were pretty much the only two unattended teens in the area. "What about you?"

"Stole a car."

Sasuke snorted. "Was it a nice car?"

"Yeah. Perfect seats for napping. It was totally worth it." The other peeked open an eye again. "And what you stole, was it worth it?"

Sasuke turned to glance at the television again, where Naruto's beaming face was still present. He clenched his hand more tightly over the writing on his cast.

"It was worth it."


	19. Finding Essyu

**FINDING ESSYU**

**A/N: **

**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto took away all my Kiba plushies because he said he owned them by association ;~; **

**Ice Station and Rule Britannia line still belongs to Matthew Reilly. I love that man so much ;~; **

* * *

**May 17th, 16:45**

Minato tried his best not to glare across his desk at the man seated before him. It was difficult, though. Incredibly difficult. After having spent years ensuring he crushed Uchiha Corp to dust, to have it shoot back upwards because of a few choice investments and lots of brains... he was not happy.

Itachi Uchiha had, at one point, been nothing more than a boy that Minato had wiped his feet on on his way to his very expensive car. Now, the man was proving to be ridiculously troublesome. Not only was he doing well with poaching Minato's clients, but he was also buying out all the companies Minato had been planning on buying out mere days before the blond got to it.

So now, he only had one choice, and as much as he hated that choice, for his son, he was going to do it. Because he had promised he would at the very least try, and he wasn't going to break his word.

"You've been a problem for quite some time, Uchiha," Minato said slowly, still eying the man in front of him, who looked far too composed for his tastes. Being a dad had made him soft if someone like Itachi barely flinched at his look.

Then again, the other had an impressive look of his own.

"I assume I've been granted an audience with you for a reason."

Minato's eyebrow twitched at the clear mockery and he took a deep breath, smoothing out a few papers in front of him and trying to calm himself down. "In the past, I would have dealt with you the same way I did all those years ago when you first took over your father's company."

"I'm not the same boy I was before," Itachi said calmly, leaning forward and picking up a frame sitting on the edge of Minato's desk.

The blond scowled, watching Itachi eye his son before setting the picture back down. Minato pulled it closer to himself, not liking someone else touching his things, especially when they pertained to Naruto.

"I could spend thousands of dollars trying to end your company, but my son has been very good at reminding me that I'm not a tyrant, and that everyone is entitled a chance to have a successful, albeit easily crushed, company."

"Your words inspire me, sir," Itachi said condescendingly, adding in a smirk to further antagonize him.

"Let's be clear." Minato leaned forward, folding his hands together. "I'm doing this for my son, who one day is going to be sitting behind this desk. He's asked me to give you a chance instead of just crushing you, so this is my one and only offer." He slid the sheet of paper sitting in front of him across the desk towards Itachi. "Sell me the rights to your company, agree to work under me, and fork over ten percent of your net profits a year, and I won't try to completely decimate you."

Itachi's lips turned up into a smirk and Minato's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Only ten percent?" the Uchiha asked, pulling the paper closer to look it over, causing Minato to relax. "That seems low for you."

"My son argued with me. He knows he'll be the one to deal with you once I retire. He wanted me to play nice."

"And this was the best you could come up with?"

Minato's eyes widened when the younger man pulled the contract off the desk and ripped it in half.

"If you think you can crush me, then prove it." Itachi stood and brushed off the front of his suit before looking back at Minato, a hint of a smirk on his features. "Good day, Mr. Namikaze."

Turning, the raven walked to the office door, put his hand on the handle, pulled it open, and froze.

Minato frowned and leaned to the side to see what Itachi was looking at. All he saw was his son, staring up at Itachi with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I think I can crush you," Naruto said simply, and then slowly, a grin so terrifying spread across his son's face that Minato actually felt chills racing down his spine. "Sit down, Mr. Uchiha. We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

**May 17th, 16:47**

Whistling a random tune while standing in the elevator, Naruto flipped a coin absently, watching it fly into the air before closing his hand around it and catching it, then repeating the motion. He was in a particularly good mood today, for more reasons than one.

The main reason was because Kiba said that Hidan was actually getting somewhere in his search for Essyu. While that had been said before, the way Kiba had stated that this time made him more hopeful. The brunet actually looked excited, as if he truly believed Essyu was within their reach. Apparently, Hidan had had it narrowed down to two people for a while, and was confident that the answer they wanted would be attained before the end of the week.

Another reason he was happy was because school was almost over. That was always fun. And additionally, he'd convinced his dad not to completely crush the new Uchiha company that had skyrocketed recently. That had been easy. All he'd had to do was remind him of why he'd been kidnapped in the first place, and his father had relented.

He knew the negotiations were going on right now, and he hoped his father wasn't screwing them up. As nice of a guy as he could be, he really _was_ a ruthless tyrant when it came to this industry. He always wanted to be on top, and that usually meant taking out the competition, no matter the cost. Naruto really hoped he remembered the cost the last time he'd crushed someone. He didn't think his next kidnappers would be quite as nice as Essyu had been.

And, truthfully, he kind of missed Ayuu, too. At least the guy was fun to piss off, if nothing else.

The elevator doors opened and Naruto started down the corridor, jumping slightly when Kakashi appeared beside him silently.

"Did you take the stairs?"

"Of course. You left without me."

"Wow... You're fast," Naruto said, shocked. He liked his breathing room and he didn't get much of it with Kakashi around. But having the other climb forty-three flights of stairs and still reach the top before him... that was talent.

"Are you going to tell him today?"

"Tell him what?" Naruto asked, waving at Ayame and stopping near his father's office door, hearing him speaking inside but not wanting to interrupt.

"That you're planning on finally changing your name from Uzumaki to Namikaze."

The blond winced, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. "I'm still not sure I'm ready to commit like that. I'm just..."

"He's not going to turn back into the man he once was," Kakashi insisted, pulling out his book and leaning against the wall, beginning to read. "It's been a long time since the incident, and he's still keeping true to his word. I think he deserves a little something in return."

Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck harder, and then glanced down when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he checked the name, then flipped it open.

"Hey, what's up?"

_"Dude! We are __**so**__ close! Hidan says his guy thinks he's got him! He should know for sure by tomorrow afternoon! He thinks he knows his name and everything!"_

The blond felt like he needed to sit down, but settled for leaning one hand against the wall. "Are you serious?" His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. "You found him?"

_"Almost, man! Almost! You better still love the guy, because if I wasted all this time and money on your stupid ass and you don't, I'm gonna murder you and make it look like __**he**__ did it."_

"You did not waste your time." A shit-eating grin spread across Naruto's face. "Fuck, Kiba, this is... Thank you! I fuckin' owe you one!"

_"You owe me ten, but we'll tally it up later. Go do your thing with your dad and I'll text your ass later. Bye!"_

Hanging up with the grin still on his face, Naruto almost burst into his father's office before remembering he was in a meeting and let out a sigh, leaning forward against the door, his cheeks hurting from the size of the smile on his face.

Just when he was about to tell Kakashi the good news—whom he was sure already knew—he heard something inside the office that gave him pause. Frowning, he tried to figure out what it was, but his father was talking, and he couldn't put his finger on it.

Slowly, his eyebrows lowered into a frown when he heard who he assumed was Itachi Uchiha talking to his father. They were negotiating, and while he tried to reason that was why he was so interested—because he wanted to know if his father was trying—his brain was screaming at him that he was missing the big picture.

_"That seems low for you."_

Naruto's eyes widened and all of a sudden, he was back in the basement of a house he didn't know, listening to footsteps retreating towards the stairs, a condescending voice floating back towards him. Not the same words, but the same voice. The same intonations.

The same person.

The blond lurched away from the door as if it were on fire and Kakashi was beside him in an instant, looking around, as if trying to find some kind of threat that would have caused Naruto to react in such a way.

His heart was slamming against his ribs. He could hear his father talking, but just barely. It was like waves were roaring in his ears, and he was finding it hard to think.

Itachi Uchiha... he was the kidnapper. He was fucking Ayuu!

_Of course!_ Naruto thought angrily, almost punching himself. It made so much sense! Whose company had his father destroyed all those years ago? Whose company had suddenly resurfaced as if nothing had happened? Who suddenly had all the money in the world to rebuild? Itachi Uchiha had kidnapped Naruto to rebuild his father's company!

But that meant...

"Essyu."

Naruto's head snapped up when he heard Itachi bidding his father farewell, daring him to crush him. Without thinking, without even completely planning what he wanted to do, the blond moved right in front of the door, and waited.

When it opened, and he looked up into Itachi Uchiha's eyes, he knew. Without a shadow of a doubt, he knew.

And Itachi knew it, too. The way his eyes widened ever so slightly. The way his hand tightened on the door handle. The way a bead of sweat suddenly appeared to trickle down the side of his pale face.

He knew. And now, Naruto was going to get what he wanted.

"I think I can crush you," the blond said, and then, a grin slowly began to spread across his face. "Sit down, Mr. Uchiha. We have a lot to talk about."

Naruto stepped forward into the office, forcing Itachi back a step, and then shut the door behind himself, trapping the older man in his father's office.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

**May 17th, 16:58**

Itachi wished he could explain what kind of emotions were going through his brain when he opened the door to find Naruto standing there. After all his planning, and all his calculating. After everything he'd done, all the precautions, all the threats, sending Sasuke away, after _everything_, he was bested at his own game merely by forgetting that Naruto could waltz into his father's office whenever he pleased.

He could feel sweat forming along his brow and slowly trickling down his spine, but he kept his face completely emotionless while taking a step back, allowing Naruto to enter the office. The blond looked a little taller, as if he'd grown a few inches since they'd last seen one another, and his eyes looked a lot more defiant than Itachi remembered them.

That was probably just his imagination, though, considering he was now wondering how he was going to warn Sasuke to make a run for it. At least the other was far away from here, it would give him time to find a way to warn him.

Naruto slowly walked around him, circling him, looking him up and down, and Itachi felt his muscles slowly stiffen in anger. He was being sized up. He was being mocked. Naruto knew he held all the power, and he was going to use it to his advantage. After all, even if no one believed him if he said it was Itachi who'd kidnapped him, Minato would at least look into it. And then all that money he'd gotten to start up his company would be questioned, and after a while, it would become clear the blond was telling the truth.

And really, Itachi had nothing to offer for his silence. Naruto was going to tell his father right now, and he was going to get arrested. And everything he'd worked for, everything he'd done for Sasuke, for _Sasuke_! It was all going to mean _nothing_ in a few short seconds. Everything, completely ruined, by a few small words.

"Let's set up a partnership."

And those... had not been the words.

"What?" Itachi asked, closely followed by Minato echoing him, only slightly more hysterically and horrified.

"Come on, dad," Naruto said, turning to look at his father. "Look at how far Mr. Uchiha has come in just a few short months. Look at all that _money_."

Itachi made sure to keep his expression completely neutral, but he could tell Naruto was just making fun of him, now. He wished he'd blown the kid's head off when he had the chance. Then again, if he didn't rat him out, the partnership thing could work out well.

"You _do_ like money, dad." Naruto reminded him. "And considering Mr. Uchiha's quick rise, I'll assume he likes money, too."

The Uchiha watched Naruto closely. The blond was staring back just as intently, still grinning.

"In a few years, I'm going to be in charge of this place. I think having someone like Itachi as a higher up would be beneficial. And smart." Naruto turned back to his father. "Just think, if he could get his company this big in a few months, imagine what a partnership and a few years could do."

Okay, so Itachi was feeling less murderous. While Naruto was still teasing him every time he turned to grin at him, he at least felt like he was getting something out of this. Which was odd, considering he still wasn't sure what the blond wanted. He was probably going to force him to resign or something. Partner their companies, and then make him quit so that his father could control them all.

His hands clenched into fists, and he looked over at Minato when the other grumbled under his breath.

"Let's talk about this over dinner," he finally said after a few more grumbles. "Ichiraku restaurant, downtown. Do you know of it?"

"I do," Itachi replied, glancing at Naruto, but he was still looking at his father.

"Let's meet there this Friday. Seven o'clock work for you?"

"I'll fit it into my schedule," he replied, just as condescendingly as usual.

"I'll see you there."

Itachi nodded goodbye to him, glanced one last time at Naruto, and left the room. When he headed for the elevator, he saw a grey-haired man watching him. When he noticed he was being looked at, the man smiled at him before returning to reading the book he held in his hand.

Waiting for the elevator was the most tense two minutes and forty-seven seconds of Itachi's life. He kept waiting for security to jump out and scream, "Arrest that man!" But the elevator arrived, and nobody had moved.

Stepping into it, he pressed the button for the ground floor, and waited. Every time it stopped on another floor, he tensed, thinking it was security, but every time, it was just random people getting on and off, exchanging words and documents. When he finally reached the ground floor, it took a conscious effort for him not to bolt for the exit. He managed to just walk at his usual pace, glancing around himself with his eyes.

When he finally pushed through the doors, he thought he was home-free, and turned to look for his driver when someone else caught his attention, and he froze again.

"Itachi Uchiha," Naruto said slowly, leaning back against the side of the building right beside the doors. He was staring at the ground, his arms crossed over his uniform, and his pale eyebrows down in a frown. "Itachi Uchiha. I U. Ayuu. I get it." He shifted slightly so that when he looked out the corner of his eyes, Itachi could meet his gaze. A grin teased his lips. "Not very smart, if you really think about it. I'm assuming that means your brother's name starts with an S."

"What is it you want, Uzumaki?"

"You remembered!" Naruto pushed away from the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets and grinning outright now. "I'm honoured. I guess calling me Namikaze right now would be stupid. Don't wanna piss me off and all."

Itachi was starting to reconsider not wanting to blow his head off.

"I did you a favour in there. Actually, I did you two favours. I didn't tell, and I got you a partnership."

"Which you clearly plan to double-cross me on later."

"Geez, are you always this grumpy?" He paused. "Actually, you are, I don't know how I could've possibly forgotten that. My back's scarred, by the way. Thanks for that."

Itachi looked around, trying not to make it obvious, but Naruto was speaking relatively loud. He didn't need the wrong people hearing their conversation. Especially since he noticed the grey-haired man from upstairs was standing just inside the doorway, still reading his book.

"Your bodyguard, I take it?"

"Dad's gotten a little paranoid," Naruto said, walking forward slightly so he was in the bodyguard's line of sight. "I got kidnapped, you see. Tends to make a guy a little nervous."

"What do you _want_, Uzumaki?" Itachi demanded again.

"Your brother." The blond got right in his face. "Where is he?"

"Why?"

"Because he is the only thing standing between you and exposure right now," Naruto informed him, eyes narrowing. "I have spent the past five months searching for him. Not to expose you, but because..." His teeth clicked together, and Itachi could have sworn he saw red tinging his cheeks, but the kid was so tanned it was hard to tell.

Itachi was suddenly struck with the same feeling he had been back when he'd returned from the hospital after Sasuke had fallen down the stairs. Naruto had the perfect opportunity to expose him, to rat him out, to have him arrested on the spot, but he hadn't. Instead, he'd kept his mouth shut about the kidnapping, and on top of that, he'd done him a favour. A partnership with Namikaze's company right now would have him and Sasuke set for life. Naruto had no reason to do that, but he had.

And now all he wanted was his brother. All he wanted was the same thing Sasuke wanted. To find him again. As sappy as that was to Itachi, he at least acknowledged that clearly their bond went far deeper than even he could have suspected.

"I sent him away." The words left his mouth before he'd even fully decided to speak them.

Naruto's head snapped back towards him. "You what?!"

"He was following you," the raven replied easily. No sense in lying now. "He was spending too much time near you. I got nervous. So I sent him away."

The blond's jaw clenched and Itachi saw his hands balled into fists. Clearly, he was worried Sasuke will have moved on, but the Uchiha had the brains not to say anything.

"Is he coming back?" he asked in a whisper.

"I'll tell you what, Uzumaki," Itachi patted his shoulder then started down the main steps towards his car, where he saw his driver waiting for him. "If you make this partnership go through, I promise that come summer, you and my brother will be reunited in every sense of the word."

"I better have your word on that, Uchiha!" Naruto called after him. "Don't forget, I know who you are!"

Itachi was never going to forget that. It was going to haunt him forever.

If his stupid little brother wasn't still in love with the blond moron, they were going to have a lot of problems.

* * *

**June 30th, 22:23**

"Was it just me, or was that the longest flight ever?" Sasuke demanded grumpily, snatching his bag from the small compartment to his left and standing with a stretch. Shikamaru was still lounging back in his chair, eyes closed and hands behind his head.

"Why are you bothering to stand up, they're not gonna let us out for another twenty minutes, at least."

"I want to get off this plane," Sasuke snapped, turning to look towards the very front of the plane. Which was relatively easy since they were in business class. "I need to check on something."

"Some_one_, you mean." Shikamaru peeked open one eye to look at him. "That person you stole, right?"

Sasuke scowled at him, annoyed. Despite only having known Shikamaru for six months, the other was surprisingly observant. And not only that, he was ridiculously smart. Within the first three hours of their plane ride to the school back in December, the other teen had already figured out Sasuke had kidnapped someone. They'd both been seated in Business Class back then, and Shikamaru had wanted to stay close to the other teen so the old people smell wouldn't make him gag, so he'd switched spots with someone, and they'd pretty much been friends ever since.

Luckily for Sasuke though, the other was too lazy to care about the details. All he'd asked was if the person was alive and home. Sasuke had said yes, and that was the end of it. Except now Shikamaru also knew he was in love with said person, which was annoying because he hadn't wanted to admit that to himself, and here someone else was shoving it in his face.

"You're worried he moved on."

"Of course I'm worried," Sasuke snapped again, turning away from Shikamaru.

"Well, he's going to eventually if you don't talk your brother into letting you see him."

"I know," Sasuke said, his teeth grinding together.

The doors at the front of the plane opened up and Shikamaru finally stood, following behind Sasuke while they hurried to get off the plane. Sasuke wanted to get off it quickly, but Shikamaru was just trying to get away from the crowds. They made their way through the airport towards the baggage claim, descending the escalator.

"You have plans for the summer, Uchiha?"

"Not really." Sasuke turned to eye the other teen. "Why? Did you wanna hang out? You don't seem the type to get out of bed unless you have to."

"You're an interesting person." Shikamaru shrugged slowly, then looked up. "Looks like my ride is here."

Turning, Sasuke's eyes scanned the crowd, as if he'd know Shikamaru's ride when he saw him. He was quite shocked to find that he actually did. Dread worked its way up from his stomach when his eyes found the same blond-haired man he'd seen Naruto with the last few days he'd been in town. Though it had been a while ago, he would never forget the other's face, and now he was wondering if maybe Shikamaru sitting beside him at the airport that day wasn't such a coincidence after all.

"Looks like your brother's here."

Sasuke's head snapped back to look at his friend, then turned to find his brother. When his eyes found him, he expected to see some kind of panic. A sign, or hint that something was amiss. But Itachi was just staring at him. Actually, he looked almost happy. Like he was glad to see him.

"I'll call you later, Sasuke. Have fun with your boytoy."

When they reached the bottom of the escalator, Sasuke stopped and watched Shikamaru walk away from him, the other shoving his hands in his pockets and walking past the blond man who hoisted a duffel over his shoulder and followed behind him.

Turning to his brother, he slowly began making his way towards him, honestly unsure of what was going on. Something seemed different, and he wasn't sure how he should be reacting to it.

Especially when Itachi hugged him once he was close enough. That was just weird. But when he pulled away, at least he still looked as stoic as he usually did.

"Welcome home, little brother."

"Hi," he said simply, leaning over to grab his bag off the conveyer since it was about to pass them by. Itachi waved his hand away and motioned the bag. Some huge black guy Sasuke had never seen before in his entire life grabbed it off the conveyer and hoisted it onto his shoulder as if it weighed nothing.

"Who's that?" Sasuke asked slowly, feeling more confused by the second.

"Kisame. He's our new driver."

"We have a driver?" Wow, how much had things changed since he'd left?

"Indeed. I also have a surprise for you."

"It better not be another year at that boarding school," he warned, narrowing his eyes.

"No, it has to do with your little obsession."

The mood Itachi was in... Naruto had moved on, he could feel it. Itachi would never be this happy otherwise. He could feel an ache forming in his chest and it took a conscious effort for him to keep the pain off his face. He merely followed after his brother and new driver, trying his best to keep himself together.

Well, really, what had he been thinking? That Naruto was going to wait for him? That he was going to end up living happily ever after with him? Of course not! But still, it stung to know that he had promised to stay celibate until the end of time, and now he was with someone.

Climbing into the new car his brother had bought—clearly, they were doing well if he was buying new cars and drivers—Sasuke sat on the far side and stared absently out the window. The drive was silent, which didn't surprise him since neither of them were very big on conversation.

He did frown, though, when he started recognizing the area they were in. It wasn't in the direction of home, though. It was still an area he was ridiculously familiar with, but not one he ever thought Itachi would willingly go to.

Whipping his head around to look at his brother, the other remained completely expressionless all the way until they reached the Namikaze gates. They didn't go close enough for the guard to grant them access, but they were still much nearer than Sasuke had ever been in his life, including when he'd been stalking him.

"Why... are we here?"

"Naruto set up a partnership for me."

Sasuke stared at him as if he were speaking another language. "What?"

"I was speaking to his father, and he overheard me. Obviously, he recognized my voice." Sasuke could tell Itachi was disgusted with that oversight, but the other continued nonetheless. "He made a deal with me. He agreed to set up a partnership between Uchiha Corp and his father's company in exchange for one thing."

Sasuke's heart was beating so hard he could practically feel it slamming into his ribcage.

"He would give me the partnership if I gave him you."

Sasuke's head whipped back towards the gates. "He waited?"

"Shockingly. I don't know why."

Sasuke tried not to take offense to that. He felt... he didn't know how he felt. A part of him wanted to jump out of the car and race for the doors, but another part of him acknowledged that that wasn't how he'd pictured their reunion. Not to mention it wasn't very Uchiha-like.

"What are you waiting for? I thought you'd be screaming hysterically for Kisame to ram the gates."

And he wanted that. He really, really did. But this wasn't how he'd pictured it. This wasn't _how_ he wanted it.

"I have a better idea." Sasuke turned to look at his brother. "You're not sending me back to boarding school, right?"

"No point anymore."

The younger Uchiha glanced at the gates again. "How much money do you have now?"

"How much are you looking to spend?"

Sasuke smirked. "Do you know the cost of admission at Naruto's school?"

* * *

**September 7th, 08:54**

Naruto was furious.

No, he was _beyond_ furious! He was abso-fucking-lutely _livid_!

Itachi had promised! He had _promised_! He had fucking promised that Naruto would have Essyu back by summer! Summer had come and gone, and he'd changed it to he'd have him by the time school started!

Well, school had started, and he still didn't have an Essyu! And he was slowly going insane! To the point where Kiba was actually thrusting _Ice Station_ at him to get him to read it and calm down, because he was so angry he was making everyone uncomfortable.

This wasn't fair!

"He lied to me!" Naruto exploded angrily, turning to Kiba and waving his book wildly. "He fucking _lied_! He said I'd have him by summer, and now it's already school time and I still don't have him! He fucking lied!"

"Calm down," Kiba insisted. "You're making the new kids antsy."

Naruto turned to glare at the stupid new kids. All five of them. He knew he shouldn't, because he had a reputation of being the nicest rich guy on the continent, but he was just so fucking angry he couldn't even be nice if he tried right now!

"He promised me I'd have Essyu back," Naruto snapped, turning back to Kiba. "I don't know how much longer I can take this!"

"Just read your book," Kiba insisted, pulling it from the blond's hands and turning it to one of the more abused pages. "Find your happy place. Look, here's some drill-to-the-head action!" Kiba turned the book around and pointed at the page. "That always makes you happy."

Snatching the book back angrily, he flipped it instead to his favourite line, even though it just depressed him because it reminded him he still didn't have a fucking Essyu.

And yes, he was still Essyu to Naruto. Because he hadn't learned his real name. Because he wanted to hear it from him when he met him. Which, currently, seemed like it was never going to fucking happen!

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow. Fuck Britannia," he muttered to himself just as the teacher walked in.

He half-payed attention to her introducing the new kids, telling them to talk about themselves a bit. He only vaguely listened to their names: Haku, Dosu, Zaku, Sasuke and Kin. He didn't really pay much attention to them other than to find out that Dosu was mute, Haku's gender was questionable, and Sasuke had bronchitis, which was made abundantly clear with the gravelly voice and horrible cough he had.

So of course, the teacher assigned him to sit beside Naruto.

"Um, do you think it's a good idea to seat a sick guy beside the guy who almost died from an illness last year?" Kiba piped up while Sasuke headed for his seat, smirking at Naruto.

The blond frowned slightly, feeling a familiarity pass through him, but he ignored it in favour of reading his book.

"It's fine," Naruto said when the teacher was about to change her mind. "I don't care."

Sasuke squeezed past him, taking a seat beside him and setting his bag down on the table. Naruto did his best to ignore the other's piercing gaze. He felt Kiba kick the back of his chair and turned to look at him. The brunet was staring intently at Sasuke, as if trying to make him stop looking at his best friend.

"Matthew Reilly?"

Naruto turned to the new kid, frowning. "What?"

"That book. Matthew Reilly?"

That was new. Nobody had ever heard of the guy unless Naruto was shoving the name down their throat. If he weren't still so pissed about the lack of Essyu, he probably would have exploded into flails at someone else knowing about him.

As it was, he just grunted, "Yeah," and went back to reading.

The bell rang a few minutes later, and Naruto stood to leave, Kiba right on his heels. When they got to their next class, he noticed the new kid pushing past people to hurry and get the spot beside him, Kiba frowning. His best friend mouthed whether he wanted him to sit beside him, and Naruto just rolled his eyes and mouthed back no. Kiba not sitting beside a window was a huge sacrifice, and he wasn't going to make his friend suffer because the new kid was a freak.

"So, I hear you're Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke said, beginning to pull some books out of his bag.

"It's Namikaze now," he muttered absently, turning the page. "I had it changed."

"Really?" Sasuke sounded genuinely surprised, and Naruto cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, yeah. A few months back."

"Your dad must have been really happy."

"He was..." Naruto felt uneasy. Why was this guy just talking to him like they were friends? It was making him uncomfortable.

"That's good. I imagine things are going well between you?"

"Look, you're making me uncomfortable," Naruto stated bluntly. "Please stop talking to me."

He shifted his chair a little bit closer to the window and hunkered down some more to read his book, deciding that maybe he'd ask Kiba to sit beside him in his next class.

Just in case.

* * *

**September 10th, 13:42**

"Dude, that new kid is creepy," Kiba said, walking along beside Naruto with his hands in his pockets, and staring forlornly at one of the new PlayStation 3's he'd been pining for since they were released. Naruto kept telling him to buy it, but they both knew Tsume would murder him if he came home with a game console.

"How about we not talk about the creepy new kid?" Naruto grumbled, hands interlaced behind his head and gaze shunted to the side. "He makes me really uncomfortable."

"I know. I swear, he's probably got pictures of you in his room or something. Probably wanks to them and everything."

"Dude!" Naruto punched him, hard, in the arm. "That's sick, okay! Sick!"

"What?" Kiba demanded, rubbing at his injury. "I'm just being honest. I mean, with the way he talks about you, he definitely did his research. He knows stuff about you that I thought only _I_ knew."

"Maybe he's been spying on me," Naruto grumbled, kicking at the marble below his feet for lack of something better to do. "You know who I wish _was_ spying on me?"

"Oh fuck me, don't start—"

"Essyu," Naruto proclaimed, as if his best friend wouldn't already know that. "I wish Essyu was spying on me. I wish he was stalking me. I wish he was fucking _here_!"

"He'll come back," Kiba said for what felt like the millionth time. "He's not gonna stay gone forever."

"Well, what if he comes back and he doesn't want me anymore, did you think about that?" The blond accused angrily, rounding on his friend. "What if he comes back and he moved on?"

"Well... then you threaten to have both him and his brother arrested."

Growling, the heir turned away and kicked at the ground again angrily, clenching his hands in his pockets and cursing Itachi for the millionth time that hour.

All he had asked for was to have Essyu. All he fucking _wanted_ was Essyu!

Why was that so hard to fucking deliver?!

* * *

**September 12th, 14:12**

"Will you _please_ get away from me!" Naruto snapped while jostling past people in the hall to get to his next class, cursing Kiba to high heaven for having the nerve to be sick. "Seriously, you freak me out, I don't know how much more blunt I need to be. Go away!"

"You know, I heard you were much nicer," Sasuke said, his voice still scratchy from his Bronchitis, and an ever-present smirk on his face. Naruto hated that smirk. It itched at the back of his mind, like he was supposed to be remembering something, but he never could.

All he knew, was that Sasuke followed him around, and it freaked him out.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" the blond demanded, rounding on him in the middle of the corridor. "Seriously, what is your damage?"

"Maybe I like you."

"Well, I'm taken," the blond snapped.

Instantly, the other's smirk disappeared and his entire face darkened. He took a step forward, and it took a conscious effort for Naruto not to take one back. He just met the other's glare with his own, challenging him to start something. He would kick his ass—if Kakashi didn't stop their fight first.

For the moment, he seemed unconcerned with what was unfolding, so he was sure he'd get a few good punches in before anyone intervened.

"Is it the mutt? It better not be that stupid fuckhead or I'll kill him."

"He's not stupid," Naruto snapped angrily. Nobody but him could call Kiba stupid! And Kakashi. And Tsume. And Hana. And Tsunade, he supposed. Well, okay, some people could, but not Sasuke! "He's not stupid, and it's not him."

"Who is it?" The other's voice was so low and dangerous that Naruto actually _did_ take a step back subconsciously.

"You wouldn't know him."

"Who is it?"

Naruto smirked. "Why, are you jealous?"

"Tell me who it is." Sasuke looked seconds away from grabbing the front of his shirt and shaking the answer out of him when Kakashi decided to intervene. He smiled pleasantly at both boys, completely ignoring the fact that they looked ready to rip each other's throats out.

"Everything all right here?"

"Fine," Naruto grit out. "I was just telling Sasuke about Essyu."

Sasuke stared at him for a second longer, blinked, and then his entire frame relaxed, a look of confusion on his face. "About who?"

"Essyu? My boyfriend." Naruto smirked. "Sorry, three's company and I don't need any."

"Essyu?" Sasuke suddenly started laughing. It pissed Naruto off. "That is the _stupidest_ name I have _ever_ heard!"

"It's a nickname!" Naruto shouted defensively. "Fuck you!"

Turning on his heel, the blond stomped angrily down the corridor, feeling anger boiling in his stomach. Mostly because at this point, he didn't even know that it was true. If Essyu ever fucking came _back_, then maybe they could talk about it. About possibly becoming something a little more than friends.

Officially, anyway, since they'd been plenty more than friends back in that house.

But still. Until the other returned, how was Naruto ever going to know how he really felt? Quite frankly, he was getting tired of waiting for someone he honestly didn't believe was ever going to come back.

Had Itachi told him he was allowed to see Naruto? Did he even know about what had transpired over the past few months? Why wasn't he back yet? Naruto would have flown out to him in a heartbeat if Itachi would fucking tell him where he was.

But he wouldn't.

He just smirked at him in that knowing way and told him to be patient and that if he wasn't so stupid, he'd have Essyu back. What did his brain have to do with Essyu flying back across the fucking country?!

"Naruto?"

"What?" he snapped angrily at Kakashi, accidentally channelling his anger in the wrong direction.

"Your class is the other way."

Stopping, Naruto turned to realize that he had, indeed, walked right past his class. Turning around, he stomped back over to the door and entered it, moving to his usual seat angrily and pointedly ignoring the fact that Sasuke hadn't sat down next to him.

In fact, when class started five minutes later, the other hadn't shown up at all.

Hoping he'd fallen into a toilet and drowned himself, Naruto just sat with his arms crossed, slouched back in his chair for the entire class. It was nearing the end of it when he couldn't take it anymore and decided he had to go to the bathroom before he started screaming hysterically in class.

Shooting to his feet and not bothering to ask for a pass, he just stormed out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher's sputtered questions as to whether or not he was all right. He was _not_ all right! He was angry! And upset! And hurt! But mostly angry!

Essyu should have been back by now, and he wasn't. And to Naruto, that meant he didn't care. That meant he didn't want him anymore. That meant he had moved on and Naruto was waiting for him for nothing.

And having Sasuke hounding on him daily wasn't helping any, either. Because the more the other did that, the more Naruto realized they had a lot in common. And he didn't want to have anything in common with him! He didn't want to have anything in common with anyone! All he needed in his life was Tsunade, his father, Kiba, and Essyu. And he supposed Itachi by association, but he'd prefer not to have him.

Turning around angrily, he slammed his fist into one of the lockers, then let out a shout and shook his hand out, curling in on himself while cradling it against his stomach, pain shooting up his arm.

"Well that was stupid."

Naruto turned and saw Sasuke leaning against the jamb of the school door's exit. He had one hand in his pocket, and the other was holding a cigarette, the smoke slowly making its way upwards from his hand.

"You're gonna get lung cancer," Naruto said. It was the only comeback he could think of.

Turning on his heel, he stomped down the corridor towards the bathroom, which was his original destination to begin with, but he needed it even more now since he'd effectively decided it would be a smart idea to break his hand.

He'd barely made it around the corner when he felt someone grab his arm and was yanked around, Sasuke pulling at his wrist to see the damage. Naruto wrenched his hand free and shoved the other roughly, only having refrained from punching him because he didn't want to hurt his other hand.

"Don't fucking touch me! God dammit, just get away from me!"

"Why are you so adamant on me staying away from you?" Sasuke demanded, smirk on his lips and hands in his pockets.

"Because!"

"Because of your boyfriend?"

"No!" Naruto said defensively, not wanting to be thought of as someone who listened to whatever their boyfriend said. "Wait, how did you know it was a guy?" he asked, his anger fading slightly.

"You told me. You kept saying 'he' and specifically said 'my boyfriend.' And considering how hard I've been trying to get your attention, you'd think you'd have noticed I knew you liked men."

"I don't like men!" Naruto insisted, defences rising right back up again. "I only like him! There's a difference!"

"And Kiba."

"Kiba's an exception," the blond snapped. "And he's straight anyway."

"Hn."

Naruto glared angrily at the other trying to think of something clever to say but unable to think of anything and just turning on his heel to storm off.

"Your Bronchitis is never gonna get better if you keep smoking," he snapped over his shoulder. "Stop being such a moron."

"You're the moron, dumbass," Sasuke called after him.

"You're the dumbass, asshole!" he yelled back angrily, stomping away even harder, which was completely unnecessary and made him look like a duck, but it made him feel better to be taking his anger out on _something_, even if it wasn't Sasuke's face.

"Rule Britannia, Scarecrow."

"Fuck Britannia!" Naruto shouted back automatically, rounding the corner and continuing for the bathroom, hands clenched into fists. "Who does he think he is, talking to me like that?" he grumbled angrily, resisting the urge to punch another locker. "Calling me stupid, calling me gay, saying that line. Fucking asshole. _He's_ the stupid one who—"

Naruto froze. He stared at the wall in front of him down the corridor, replaying the events in his head. About him liking Kiba, which not that many people knew. About him being a dumbass, which only two people called him. And then that line...

That fucking line that had been the bane of his existence ever since he'd been released. That stupid fucking line that was the only thing keeping him together while waiting for Essyu to come back.

Sasuke started with an S.

Itachi had said if he wasn't so stupid he'd have Essyu back.

... What _was_ Sasuke's last name, anyway?

Before fully committing to the thought, Naruto turned and bolted back down the corridor, sliding on the tile flooring in his haste to round the corner and then skidding to a halt. Sasuke was still standing right where he'd left him, arrogant—and ridiculously familiar, how had he not noticed?!—smirk on his face.

"You are the stupidest smart person I have ever met in my life," the other said in his gravelly voice.

The only thing that had stopped Naruto from recognizing him right away. The only thing that had made him spend close to three weeks bitching and complaining about Essyu not being there when he'd been sitting beside him the whole fucking time.

"Essyu," Naruto whispered.

The smirk widened. "You can just call me Sasuke."


	20. Sasuke Says

**A/N: Aiyah, sorry! I legit forgot to post this because I'm moving atm |D Sorry for the delay, totally thought this was up.  
**

**Disclaimer: -bolts away from Masashi Kishimoto's house with Kiba over her shoulder- MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

* * *

**September 12th, 14:55**

Watching Naruto try and piece together his memory of Essyu and his new thoughts of Sasuke was actually quite entertaining. And while Sasuke had been in agony being so close and yet so very far from the blond, it had all been worth it for the look on his face.

Well, not the one he had right now, but the one before that when he'd finally realized Sasuke and Essyu were the same person. Currently, his expression looked like someone had force-fed him something foul.

"Sorry," Naruto said after a few seconds of silence. "I'm slowly changing gears. I'm trying to switch my mind over to you being Essyu and not the creepy stalker guy I've been trying to get away from for the past few weeks."

Sasuke snorted, smirking still and slowly walking forward, hands in his pockets. "I was trying to see how long it would take for you to realize who I was, moron. But especially after the near-disaster earlier, I couldn't wait anymore."

He stopped right in front of Naruto, who was still slowly going from horrendously confused to a little bit happy.

"I'm still not sure I believe you," Naruto said once Sasuke was right in front of him.

"Then keep thinking while I work on convincing you." The raven reached up with one hand, caressing the side of Naruto's face and pressing his lips against the other's.

The blond pulled away and scrunched up his nose. "You taste like an ashtray."

Sasuke stared at him. "Really? We're apart for almost a year and the only thing you can think of to say to me right now is that I taste like an ashtray?"

"Well, you do!" Naruto insisted with a scowl. "Besides, I didn't say I wouldn't _kiss_ an ashtray!" He grinned. "Just letting you know you taste like one."

Smirking once more, the Uchiha leaned forward and pressed his lips hungrily against Naruto's again, the blond tugging harshly at the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. Sasuke stumbled forward a step, thrusting his tongue into the other's mouth, and slammed Naruto back against a row of lockers.

Pain shot through him and he tasted blood in his mouth, denoting Naruto had bitten down much harder than he was sure the blond had meant to. He didn't care. Naruto didn't seem to, either, pulling him even closer and practically sticking his tongue down Sasuke's throat.

After a few seconds of heated kissing, Sasuke pulled away, chest heaving, struggling to catch his breath and slow his heart, though he knew there was no way he was going to be able to calm down enough. Not after months of waiting for this moment again. Months of being sure this was never going to come. Of knowing he was going to lose Naruto forever.

Well, God sure fucked that all over. And for once, Sasuke didn't mind.

"Your car here?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "I have a driver, now."

"Fuck," the blond hissed, looking up and down the corridor. "Your place is close, isn't it?"

"Enough, yeah. We can make it in ten minutes if we walk."

Naruto pulled himself free from the other's grip, grinning wickedly. "We can make it in five if we run."

Sasuke could run. He could do that for Naruto.

Following the other towards the door, Naruto suddenly stopped, causing Sasuke to have to deke around him at the last second to avoid a collision.

"Dude..." Naruto turned to him, horrified. "You have Bronchitis!"

"The tailend, you're not gonna catch it, moron."

"Oh my God, I'm gonna _die_!"

Sasuke smacked him across the back of the head, smirking. "You're an idiot."

"And you're an asshole!" Naruto shot back, grinning slightly while rubbing the back of his head.

The Uchiha felt relieved. Even after one year of separation, they could still fall back into their appropriate roles. He was eager to find out just how over his phobia the blond truly was, now. It was going to be interesting...

* * *

**September 16th, 15:45**

Kiba pulled his pillow up over his head with a groan, feeling like his insides were trying to become his outsides and struggling to ignore all the noise coming from God knew where. Who would have thought that having a mansion with hundreds of rooms and dozens of exits would mean people would feel the need to be doubly loud to ensure they could be found if necessary?

"I'm dying," he groaned pathetically to himself, his voice sounding as ragged as the day he'd screamed himself hoarse at the amusement park downtown. Naruto had, too, so it wasn't like he was a loser all by himself. They'd both been retarded and screamed at the top of their lungs.

He heard his bedroom door open and let out a pathetic whine. Peeking out from under his pillow through puffy eyes, he saw Hana standing in his doorway, arms crossed and leaning back against the jamb.

"What?" he asked.

"You look like shit."

"Thank you, I hadn't noticed," Kiba replied dryly before pulling his pillow back over his face, practically suffocating himself since he couldn't breathe through his nose, and the pillow was making it hard to breathe through his mouth.

"Your moron is here."

Kiba let out another whine. "No, make him leave. He'll make me laugh and I'll puke all over myself."

"Hang on long enough for me to grab the video camera."

Kiba frowned, and was about to pull his pillow off his head when something jumped on him, and based on the weight, he knew for sure it wasn't his dog.

"Oh Christ almighty!" Kiba screamed, jerking upwards and rolling over, leaning over the side of the bed and coughing into his garbage can, feeling what little he'd actually managed to get into his stomach trying to make its way back up the way it had gone down. "Are you stupid?!"

"Actually, that's you," Naruto insisted with a grin, though his underlying expression showed he was sorry and hadn't known Kiba was pretty much dying. "When you said you were dying, I thought you were kidding."

"Well, I'm not," the brunet groaned, still leaning over the side, just in case.

"People are starting a rumour at school. They say you've got what I had last year and are inches away from death."

"Considering what you went through last year, I'll stick with this," Kiba muttered.

"I resent that."

Glancing up, the brunet gawked at the figure standing in his doorway, leaning sideways against the jamb with his arms crossed, much like Kiba's sister had been.

"Naruto... I think I'm hallucinating..." he said slowly.

"I told you to wait downstairs," Naruto insisted. "He's not exactly healthy enough to handle the news right now."

"Handle what news?" Kiba asked, looking over his shoulder at Naruto, then back over at Sasuke. "Dude, why are you in my house?"

"I was invited in."

"Makes sense, I heard all vampires had to be invited in before they could step foot into someone's house," the Inuzuka said, leaning over more and wrapping his arms around his garbage. "Ugh, go away."

"Maybe we should tell him some other time," Naruto said uncertainly.

"Tell me what?" Kiba demanded.

"That your statement about his experience last year offends me." Sasuke stepped forward into the room, and Kiba reached for his water bottle without looking up, waving it slightly in the raven's direction.

"This might just look like water, but I assure you, it's been blessed by a priest. Unless you wanna melt, Mr. Vampire creeper man, get away from me."

"I like him better when he can't talk. Is there a mute button?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

"Well, since you're not looking like you wanna leave, and Kiba's threatening you with a bottle of water," Naruto let out a small laugh at that, "um, just don't freak out."

"Why do I feel like I'm gonna freak out?" Kiba sighed into his garbage. "And then promptly empty the contents of my stomach?"

"Remember what happened last year?"

"I don't think it's possible to forget about it."

"And um, remember how I kept complaining about Essyu not being around?"

"I don't think you've ever complained about anything more in your entire life."

"Well... turns out he was."

Frowning, Kiba looked up at Naruto, confused. Then slowly, he turned to look at Sasuke, who just smirked at him.

"Great," the brunet grunted, burying his face back into his garbage can. "You invite a vampire _and_ kidnapper into my house. Thanks."

"I'm pretty sure he's richer than you are," Naruto whispered. "So you're safe."

"That's good to know." He looked up briefly, eying Sasuke. "Nice to officially meet you, I guess. I suppose I should stop trying to sit between you and Naruto in class now?"

"That would be appreciated. Though that's only if you actually make it back there in one piece." Sasuke eyed him. "You look ready to die."

"Seriously!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping onto his back lightly, and causing Kiba to gag into the trash.

"Dude!"

"Sorry." The blond crawled back off him and stood up, moving over to stand beside Sasuke. "We were gonna invite you to dinner at Sasuke's house, but you look like you're gonna keel over any second, and I'm pretty sure Itachi would murder you for ruining his new carpet."

"Good," Kiba groaned. "I don't wanna meet your crazy kidnapper friends."

"Itachi's not my friend. I put up with him because of Sasuke."

"Brilliant," Kiba replied dryly. "Can you guys please leave now so I can die in peace?"

Naruto blew a raspberry at him before huffing and waving goodbye. "Feel better, mutt-face."

"Fuck off," the brunet groaned, falling out of bed and curling himself around his trash can, his bedroom door shutting loudly. "I hate my life."

* * *

**September 23rd, 16: 33**

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke, glancing anxiously over his shoulder at a sour-looking Kiba. "I mean, he barely tolerates you, and you were the _nice_ one."

"You really think he's going to mouth off at Itachi?" Sasuke asked with a snort, opening his front door and leading the way inside. "Because I don't."

"I don't know," Naruto insisted, rubbing the back of his neck and leaning closer to Sasuke so Kiba wouldn't hear, since he was considerably closer now. "I still did and I was handcuffed and blindfolded while doing so. Kiba can get pretty mouthy."

"You worry too much. They'll meet tonight just so that Kiba can get his anger out of his system, and then they'll never have to see each other again."

The blond rubbed at his arm awkwardly, unsure as to how he felt about all this. He and Sasuke had been doing great over the past few days. Heck, even Naruto's dad was somewhat cool with him being bi-sexual. He'd expressed some concerns when he'd found out it was Sasuke Uchiha, but considering how happy Naruto was now, he tried to tone down his nagging.

Besides, as Naruto kept reminding him, this would be good for the company if they stayed together. And considering how they'd met and what they'd overcome, Naruto was pretty confident they weren't going to be splitting up anytime soon.

"I'll go and get Itachi, since he's probably in his office." Sasuke snorted. "We'll meet you in the living room."

Nodding, the blond punched Kiba in the arm lightly then motioned the corridor, leading the way.

"I can't believe you brought me here," Kiba hissed, suddenly right up against Naruto's back, sticking to him like glue. "What if they decide to keep us both locked in their basement and leech money off our parents until we waste away into nothingness?"

"Well, at least _I'd_ still get laid," Naruto replied with a grin.

"Dude, I'm serious!" Kiba insisted, head whipping around, as if searching for an escape once they entered the living room. "There are no windows?! How are there no windows in a living room?!" He rounded on Naruto, grabbing his shoulders. "What kind of a living room has no windows?!"

"Dude, you need to calm down a little," the blond insisted, prying the other's hands off his shoulders and pushing him down onto a couch. "You're overreacting."

"Um, in what way is me freaking out about kidnappers kidnapping us an overreaction?" Kiba demanded, narrowing his eyes. "They did it once."

"And look what came out of it." Naruto motioned himself. "My dad talks to me, I have a boyfriend, and I got a kid back into school. Things are looking up for me. All in all, I can't think of a downside."

"I can," the brunet grumbled, leaning back angrily and crossing his arms. "I got ditched for a month, that kind of sucked."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto fell down into the armchair across from his friend. "Look, Kiba, like Sasuke said, this is mostly just a formality. You'll meet Itachi, we'll have dinner, and then you'll never have to see him again."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Both boys turned to glance at the door, Sasuke standing beside his brother and eying him with concern, the older Uchiha smirking. Naruto had actually never seen such a malicious look on his face before, and considering he'd been kidnapped by the guy, that was saying something.

"He'll do."

Kiba paled and Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who just shrugged, as if to say, "well, couldn't have predicted this."

"Do? Do what? What will who do?" Kiba demanded, looking back and forth urgently between Sasuke and Naruto. "Who's doing what?!"

Naruto laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head, and shrugging at Sasuke. When he looked back at his best friend, it was clear Kiba had clued in—or come to terms with what had been said. He was glaring daggers at him.

"I am going to _kill_ you!"

"Come on, let's not waste time," Itachi said, still smirking. "I'm sure we can have our meal moved into the basement."

"You are so dead, Naruto. Totally dead."

Well, okay, so maybe this wasn't going as smoothly as Sasuke had planned, but really, Naruto didn't see what Kiba was complaining about. Sure, Itachi was a heartless, sadistic asshole, but Kiba was a stubborn, obnoxious brat.

No way would they last.

... Even if he and Sasuke were somehow managing.

"Oh, I am so dead," Naruto said with a laugh, shaking his head and standing up to follow Sasuke out of the room, interlacing his fingers with the raven's.

Things were definitely looking up for him.

**END.**


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